Running is a basic human skill, but when a robot runs, it’s a big deal, and when it does so while doing something you’ve probably never done, then it’s cause for fascination, if not celebration.
This week, we have the spectacle of a Unitree G1 robot chasing a group of wild boars through the nighttime streets of Poland. In the short, now-viral clip, the G1 turns a corner, appears to spot the animals, and then takes off after them as the confused and or terrified boars run away. The pursuit is short, and as the boars race off into the woods, the Unitree G1 stops and forlornly waves goodbye.
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Still, we have a weird and growing fascination with humanoid robot racers, those that can do more than amble from room to room, but are up for a high-speed chase.
Perhaps by now you’ve heard of the Humanoid Half-marathon being held next week in Beijing, China. I have confirmation that Unitree G1 will compete in the 13.1-mile race alongside hundreds of other robots from 70 teams. This is the second such race, and I vividly recall comical clips from that first half-marathon in which the robots ran off the road and into each other.
A lot of the clips I’ve seen in the run-up to this race show the robots running at shocking speeds of up to 4.6mph. Granted, humans can run almost double that speed in a marathon, but for humanoid robots, this is progress.
It’s wild out there
I’m not sure, though, what all this running, chasing, and racing means.
If you think about the number of times you have to run, I’m sure it boils down to catching a train and trying to stop your toddler from knocking over that vase. The last time I darted like that, I ran right into a bed frame and broke my toe. I generally try not to run where fast walking will suffice.
The majority of home robots from companies like Neo, Figure AI, and Tesla Optimus are never depicted running. They all slowly and carefully make their way from room to room and perform most of their home assistance actions with the same slow, methodical care.
On the other hand, robots out in the wild are invariably cranked to action mode. They’re out chasing boars or beating the heck out of each other (and sometimes people).
At CES 2026, I saw groups of Unitree G1 robots box, and earlier this year, they shocked the world with choreographed dance and kung fu at China’s Spring Festival Gala. But this, like so many other humanoid activities are either deeply trained or remotely controlled. At CES, the G1 I shook hands with was remote-controlled.
Half the robots at the Humnoid Half-marathon will be autonomous, while the rest are remote-controlled, like the CES Unitree G1. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on the latter to win. Autonomy will only get you so far when half the robots don’t have that same kind of awareness and self-determination. The G1 and other robots are sure to run into their share of mishaps (and each other).
Even so, everyone wants to see a robot run. Perhaps they’re thinking about something beyond the home or even the factory (where I bet running is frowned upon).
‼️ ZELENSKYY: For the first time in the war, an enemy position was captured entirely by ground robotic systems and drones – without any infantry. A robot entered the most dangerous zones instead of a soldier and took the positions.«The future is here, on the battlefield, and… pic.twitter.com/maqECUunEjApril 13, 2026
Increasingly, robots are being asked to go to war. This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proclaimed, “Future is here!” as he announced that a small all-robot army had captured a position. Now, I don’t know if any of the robots ran through that battlefield, but I’m sure any robot that can run and traverse difficult terrain in that situation is useful.
That is, of course, an extreme case. In the meantime, we’re left with bizarre videos of robots chasing animals and dashing around racetracks trying to beat their human competitors.
Our interest runs counter to every deep-seated fear we have about a robot uprising. After all, they’ll be running at us, chasing us. Why do we want to see anything that resembles that?
Also, I hope those boars are okay.
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lance.ulanoff@futurenet.com (Lance Ulanoff)
