Beijing postpones human-robot race to April 19 due to weather

The world's first marathon featuring both human and humanoid robot runners, which was originally scheduled for the upcoming Sunday, has been postponed to April 19 due to severe weather warnings in Beijing, organizers announced on Thursday afternoon.

The decision follows forecasts of extreme cold, strong winds and potential hazards in the capital.

The host and organizers of the event, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, expressed deep apologies for the inconvenience caused by the delay and gave revised arrangements for participants.

Those who cannot make it to the rescheduled race can choose to keep their race bib, have their post-race package delivered or request a refund by scanning a QR code before 12 pm on April 15. The organizing committee will cover all related mailing expenses.

If participants had to rearrange hotel and transportation bookings or faced cancellation fees due to the delay, the committee will help cover those costs.

The event garnered massive attention when it was announced thanks to the promise of humanoid robots participating in a half-marathon alongside approximately 12,000 human runners.

Over 20 teams from research institutes, universities and enterprises will compete with their robots, synchronously starting with human runners to engage in a technical and endurance duel along the nearly 21-kilometer course.