Picture this: a wild race where humanoid robots stumble, wobble, and crawl their way through 13.1 miles of Beijing streets, desperately trying to keep up with their human counterparts. Welcome to the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon, where technology meets pure comedic chaos.

China’s tech scene just turned running into an unexpectedly hilarious spectacle, with over 20 two-legged robots attempting to prove they’ve got what it takes to compete alongside humans. Spoiler alert: they don’t.

The Struggle Is Real

Take Tiangong Ultra, the supposed “winner” of this robotic road race. This mechanical marvel managed to complete the half-marathon in a whopping two hours and 40 minutes - roughly 98 minutes slower than the human winner. Talk about an epic technological fail. The robot needed three battery changes and required human handlers to prevent it from face-planting during the course.

Fashion Meets Function

If the running performance wasn’t entertaining enough, the robot fashion was next level. Some robots sported sun hats, running shoes, and even windbreakers. One particularly nightmare-inducing robot even had a disturbingly human-like face complete with makeup and eyelashes. Because nothing says “athletic competition” like a robot with a chic bob hairstyle.

Silicon Valley, Take Notes

While China is investing billions in humanoid robotics to compete with U.S. tech giants like Boston Dynamics and Tesla, this half-marathon proved one thing: we’re still very, very far from a robot takeover. These mechanical marathoners needed more babysitting than a toddler at a sugar convention.

For now, humans can rest easy knowing that our robotic friends are more likely to trip than triumph in any athletic endeavor.