Humanoid robots have achieved a remarkable milestone in robotics, with Chinese-built machines running the 100 metres faster than the 9.58-second world record set by Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt in 2009.
The breakthrough happened at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, where a humanoid robot named Tiangong Ultra completed the 100 metres in 9.39 seconds during a preliminary heat. Another robot, Lightning, also finished inside Bolt’s record with a time of 9.47 seconds.
Bolt's 9.58-second performance at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin has remained the men's 100m world record for 17 years. Tiangong Ultra's reported 9.39 seconds is therefore 0.19 seconds faster than the human record.
From 21.50 seconds to 9.39 seconds
Perhaps more impressive than the headline time is how quickly some of these robots have improved.
Tiangong Ultra reportedly completed the 100m in 21.50 seconds at the previous edition of the robot games.
Its latest 9.39-second performance represents a dramatic improvement in just one year.
Honor's humanoid robot Lightning had also demonstrated extraordinary speed before the competition.
During testing, it reportedly recorded 9.32 seconds over 100 metres, even faster than its 9.47-second competition time.
The results demonstrate how quickly advances in electric motors, batteries, actuators, balance control, artificial intelligence and robotic movement are changing what humanoid machines can do.
But robots are not replacing Usain Bolt
The achievement needs some context.
Bolt's 9.58 seconds is an officially recognised human athletics world record, achieved under the rules governing human competition.
The robot's performance does not replace Bolt's record in human athletics.
Instead, the achievement demonstrates that machines designed with human-like legs and movement can now physically move faster than the fastest human sprinter.
There is also an important difference between running fast for a short demonstration and being able to perform reliably in the real world.
The robots reportedly struggled with stability after crossing the finish line, with some losing control and crashing into barriers.
That highlights one of the biggest challenges facing humanoid robotics: speed is only one part of the problem.
The real test is outside the racetrack
The World Humanoid Robot Games are designed to test robots in much more than athletic competitions.
The five-day event features 51 competitions, including 30 sporting events and 21 scenario-based challenges designed to simulate real-world environments such as factories, warehouses, restaurants and emergency situations.
Some competitions require robots to operate autonomously, testing their ability to perceive their surroundings, make decisions and perform practical tasks without constant human control.
These challenges may ultimately be more important than beating a 100m record.
A robot that can run 100 metres in under 10 seconds is impressive.
But a robot that can safely navigate a warehouse, pick up different objects, connect cables, load materials or work alongside humans without constant supervision could have a much greater economic impact.
China pushes humanoid robotics
The achievement also highlights China's rapidly expanding humanoid robotics industry.
More than 2,000 humanoid robots from 666 teams representing 16 countries are taking part in the 2026 games, according to reports.
The event is being held alongside the World Robot Conference in Beijing, where thousands of robotic products are also being showcased.
Chinese companies have increasingly invested in humanoid robots for manufacturing, logistics, services and other industries.
Companies such as Unitree have also demonstrated significant improvements in robot running speeds.
Earlier this year, Unitree's H1 was reported to have reached around 10.1 metres per second during a sprint test, although the company noted possible measurement error.
The progress is attracting significant investor interest as companies attempt to turn humanoid robots from research demonstrations into commercially useful machines.
Robots are entering a new era
The biggest significance of the Beijing races may not be that a robot has beaten Usain Bolt.
It is that humanoid robots are beginning to demonstrate physical abilities that were previously considered far beyond practical robotic systems.
Running requires a machine to coordinate motors, joints, balance, sensors and control software thousands of times during a short race. Achieving such speeds while maintaining a human-like form represents a substantial engineering challenge.
The next challenge will be making these machines useful, affordable, safe and reliable.
For now, the images of humanoid robots racing faster than the world's fastest human are a striking demonstration of how quickly robotics is advancing.
And while Bolt's human record remains intact, the machines have delivered a clear message: the age of humanoid robots capable of extraordinary physical performance is moving from science fiction into reality.
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