Honor's 'Lightning' Robot Wins Half Marathon, China Leads Global Humanoid Robot Market Boom

The 2026 humanoid robot half marathon was held in Beijing Yizhuang. Honor's 'Lightning' robot won the championship with 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the human half marathon world record of 56 minutes and 42 seconds. This result shows a breakthrough in the athletic performance of humanoid robots.

IDC predicts that global humanoid robot shipments will exceed 510,000 units by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of nearly 95%. In 2025, Chinese manufacturers dominated the global market, accounting for 95% of shipments and forming an absolute advantage in hardware manufacturing and scaling.

In 2025, global humanoid robot shipments exceeded 18,000 units, 85% of which were used in entertainment performances, education and research, and guide and shopping scenarios. Pilots have also been carried out in industrial manufacturing and warehousing logistics. Many top Chinese manufacturers are expected to achieve 10,000-unit-level production capacity in 2026, further consolidating their leading position.