BEIJING — The robot Tiangong Ultra, built by X-Humanoid, ran 100 meters in 8.64 seconds at the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The winning time surpassed the human world record of 9.58 seconds set by Usain Bolt in 2009.

The event took place at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing from August 22 to August 26, 2026. A total of 2,056 robots from 666 teams competed in the games, with teams from 16 countries participating in the competition. Of the 666 teams, 641 were Chinese, representing 157 companies and 200 universities.

The robots competed in 51 events and 1,301 contests covering sports and real-world tasks such as warehousing, assembly, and emergency response. The 100-meter sprint record at the games was broken three times in five days, with times of 9.39 seconds, 8.86 seconds, and 8.64 seconds. After completing its sprint, the Tiangong Ultra robot collided with a padded wall at the end of the race track.

On the closing day of the games, organizers released 2,500 hours of operational data covering 12 scenarios and more than 10,000 tasks. The operational data was made available free to companies, universities, and research institutes. Beijing officials stated that the 2027 World Humanoid Robot Games will focus further on practical applications.

Jonathan Hurst of Oregon State University provided perspective on the broader implications of these developments. "Progress will be measured where humanoids do work autonomously for hours and generate real economic value," Hurst said.

Why It Matters

The performance of Tiangong Ultra and other robots at the games demonstrates rapid advancements in humanoid robotics capabilities. The winning 100-meter sprint time of 8.64 seconds represents an improvement from the 21.50 seconds recorded at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in the previous year. This acceleration in speed parallels improvements in other athletic metrics, such as the standing high jump, which increased from 0.95 meters to 2.88 meters within one year.

The release of 2,500 hours of operational data provides researchers and developers with resources to further refine robot performance in real-world tasks. With Chinese manufacturers accounting for 57% of industrial robot sales in the Chinese market in 2024, the concentration of development resources in the region may influence the trajectory of future innovations. The shift toward practical applications in the 2027 games indicates an industry focus on translating athletic performance into functional utility.

Timeline

Chinese manufacturers accounted for 57% of industrial robot sales in the Chinese market in 2024. The winning 100-meter sprint time at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in the previous year was 21.50 seconds. The highest standing high jump at the previous year's games was 0.95 meters. The second World Humanoid Robot Games were held in Beijing, China from August 22 to August 26, 2026.

What's New

A humanoid robot reached 2.88 meters in the standing high jump at the 2026 games. The human standing high jump world record has been 2.45 meters since 1993.

A robot named Lightning ran the 100-meter dash in 9.32 seconds. During its 100-meter run, the robot Lightning achieved a top speed of 14.5 meters per second. Beijing is capital city of China.

How Sources Differ

World Humanoid Robot Games official results state that the robot Tiangong Ultra, built by X-Humanoid, ran 100 meters in 8.64 seconds, while 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games official results note that the winning 100-meter sprint time at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in the previous year was 21.50 seconds. World Humanoid Robot Games official results log indicate that the 100-meter sprint record at the games was broken three times in five days, with times of 9.39 seconds, 8.86 seconds, and 8.64 seconds, whereas 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games official results report the winning 100-meter sprint time at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in the previous year was 21.50 seconds. 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games official results list the winning 100-meter sprint time at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in the previous year as 21.50 seconds, while World Humanoid Robot Games official results show that a robot named Lightning ran the 100-meter dash in 9.32 seconds. World Humanoid Robot Games official schedule confirms that the second World Humanoid Robot Games were held in Beijing, China from August 22 to August 26, 2026, while 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games official results reference the winning 100-meter sprint time at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in the previous year as 21.50 seconds. Beijing Municipal Government press statement notes that Beijing officials stated that the 2027 World Humanoid Robot Games will focus further on practical applications, while 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games official results cite the winning 100-meter sprint time at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in the previous year as 21.50 seconds.