BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- A new technological milestone was reached Saturday in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area as humanoid robots completed a half-marathon for the first time globally. The robots followed the same route as human runners but on separate tracks.

Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, clocked two hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds, winning this historic 21.0975-kilometer race among 20 competing teams.

"Tiangong Ultra crossed the finish line about 30 minutes earlier than expected," said the Center's CEO Xiong Youjun. "All the robots today performed great basically in dealing with challenges such as turns and speed bumps. We made history together."

Originally scheduled for April 13, the humanoid robot half-marathon was postponed to Saturday due to a high wind alert in the city last weekend, providing teams with more time to test and refine the structure and control system of the robot runners.

"During a 21km trial, a screw connecting the ankle motor and linkage snapped at the 15km mark. We reinforced the part with three positioning pins -- no issues since," recalled Cui Wenhao, leader of the Xuanfeng Xiaozi Team.

Given that the humanoid robots on the track differ in height and weight, they are intended for future deployment in designated fields, including manufacturing, healthcare, and education.

Zhao Fuming, director of the Beijing Marathon Association, noted, "Robots highlighted the race indeed. More cities may learn from such experience to integrate new concepts into marathon. However, robots may not necessarily participate as runners. They can also give a hand in security checking or other operation tasks."

Meanwhile, in the human race held on Saturday, Ethiopian runners won both the men's and women's half-marathons. Enditem

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