Beijing - The annual Yizhuang Half Marathon took place in the Chinese capital on Saturday. This year, for the first time, humanoid robots were among the thousands of participants at the starting line - side by side with human runners.

The 21 robots, developed by Chinese manufacturers such as DroidVP and Noetix Robotics, competed in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some were smaller than 1.20 meters, others reached a size of up to 1.80 meters.

One company in particular emphasized that its robots appeared almost human - with fine facial features and the ability to wink and laugh.

As The Guardian reports, the organizers likened the unusual race to a racing car competition due to the engineering and navigation teams required.

One spectator was impressed by the running ability of the robots: "They run really well, very stable. I feel like I'm witnessing the further development of robotics and AI."

During the 21-kilometer run, the robots were accompanied by human supervisors, and some machines even had to be physically supported.

However, first place was not taken by a robot, but by a human, who reached the finish line after just one hour and two minutes. The fastest robot, "Tiangong Ultra", took considerably longer: it crossed the finish line after two hours and 40 minutes.

Not all of the robots completed the half marathon successfully; some had major problems right at the start: one fell at the starting line and lay flat on the ground for several minutes before picking itself up. Another ran into a railing and also caused his supervisor to fall.

Robots were already used in marathons in China last year, but never together with human participants. China hopes that investment in forward-looking industries such as robotics could provide new impetus for economic growth.