The world's first half marathon with robot participants took place in China.

The first half marathon was held in China, in which humanoid robots took part together with humans. This was reported by the Reuters news agency on Saturday, April 19.

Two dozen robot teams from research companies and institutes covered the 21 km distance. One organization even boasted a model that was particularly close to a human, which has not only feminine features, but also the functions of a smile and a wink.

"Twenty—one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing on Saturday, for the first time these machines ran together with humans over a distance of 21 km," the publication says.

According to one of the spectators of the race, He Xishu, robots run "very well and stably," which indicates an "evolution" in the field of robotics.

At the same time, each mechanized runner was accompanied by a human trainer. Some people provided their wards with physical support, the publication clarified.

"Several robots were wearing sneakers, one was wearing boxing gloves, and the other was wearing a red headband with the words "Must win" in Chinese," the agency writes.

However, not all robots were able to successfully cross the finish line. For example, one of them fell at the very start, rising only a few minutes later. Another human-designed participant crashed into a guardrail and fell along with his escort.

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Earlier, on March 19, it was reported that the Chinese company began accepting pre-orders for a humanoid robot equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) worth 199,000 yuan ($27,500), capable of deftly manipulating hands and walking. The robot Dobot Atom can cook breakfast, pour milk, toast bread and bring boxes.