World's first half-marathon with humans and robots takes place

Runners who took part in a half-marathon in the Chinese capital Beijing, found themselves lining up against some unusual competitors - 21 human-like robots.

While robots have made appearances at marathons in the past, this is the first time they have raced against humans over this distance.

The thirteen mile course included slopes, turns and uneven surfaces.

The winning robot completed the course in two hours and forty minutes - more than twice as long as the fastest man.

What's happened?

The robots were all made in China by several different companies and accompanied by human trainers during the race.

They raced over the terrain to mixed results.

Some were able to complete the race, while others struggled from the beginning.

One robot fell at the starting line and lay flat for several minutes before getting up and taking off.

However, they were no match for the humans - as the fastest machine took more than twice as long as the fastest man.