Some robots ran the Beijing half-marathon autonomously, while others were controlled remotely, all competing on a parallel course to avoid collisions with human athletes.

This is the shocking moment a marathon-running robot smashed into pieces after tripping – before being dramatically carried away on a stretcher by a medical crew.

A robot in China outran the human half-marathon record, though tumbles and chaos stole part of the spotlight.

The winning time is a massive improvement over last year’s race, when the fastest robot finished in two hours and 40 minutes.

The android won a race featuring robots and humans on Sunday in Beijing, achieving a technological milestone while finishing faster than any person in history.