Honor robot Lightning runs 100m in 9.32 seconds, beating Usain Bolt's record

August 22, 2026 at 04:30 PM2 min

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A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor ran 100 metres in 9.32 seconds at a preparatory test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The robot, dubbed Lightning, reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second, surpassing Usain Bolt's 9.58-second world record set in 2009. The performance was reported by China's state broadcaster CCTV.

Key Facts

Lightning ran 100 metres in 9.32 seconds, beating Usain Bolt's 9.58-second world record set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
The robot reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second during the preparatory test event in Beijing.
Lightning won the 21km Beijing half marathon in April in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the elite men's human world-record pace.
Researchers lengthened Lightning's legs by 10 cm to 1.05 metres before the World Humanoid Robot Games, according to CCTV.

Record-Breaking Performance

Lightning, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor, ran 100 metres in 9.32 seconds at a preparatory test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The time surpassed the 9.58-second men's 100-metre world record set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009. During the run, Lightning reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV. The World Humanoid Robot Games opened in Beijing on Saturday, with the preparatory test event preceding the main competition.

Robot Specifications and Prior Achievements

Lightning previously won the 21km Beijing half marathon in April with a time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the elite men's human world-record pace. At the half marathon, the robot stood 169cm tall and had 95cm legs. Researchers lengthened Lightning's legs by 10 cm to 1.05 metres before the World Humanoid Robot Games, CCTV reported.

China's Humanoid Robot Strategy

China has been promoting humanoid robots as a strategic emerging industry. Policymakers and companies are betting that advances in AI and hardware will accelerate deployment of humanoid robots in manufacturing, logistics and consumer applications.