---
title: "Humanoid robots break Usain Bolt's 100m sprint record"
url: https://www.parallelquant.com/posts/humanoid-robots-break-usain-bolt-s-100m-sprint-record-a2484d
source_name: "Tom's Hardware"
source_url: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/robotics/humanoid-robots-shatter-usain-bolts-100m-record-hits-23-8-mph-before-crashing-into-foam-pads-video-shows-tiangong-ultra-logging-9-39-second-sprint-before-colliding-with-padded-wall
published: 2026-08-23T11:45:00.000Z
topics: ["robotics"]
publisher: "Parallel Quant"
---

# Humanoid robots break Usain Bolt's 100m sprint record

*2026-08-23 · Source: [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/robotics/humanoid-robots-shatter-usain-bolts-100m-record-hits-23-8-mph-before-crashing-into-foam-pads-video-shows-tiangong-ultra-logging-9-39-second-sprint-before-colliding-with-padded-wall)*

At the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, the Tiangong Ultra robot ran 100 meters in 9.39 seconds, and the Honor Lightning followed at 9.47 seconds — both beating Usain Bolt's 9.58-second world record. The Tiangong Ultra reportedly reached 23.8 mph before crashing into padded barriers at the finish.

**Why it matters:** Raw sprint speed isn't itself commercially useful, but it's a visible benchmark of how fast humanoid robot locomotion and actuator control are progressing, particularly from Chinese robotics programs pushing hard on physical performance alongside AI-driven data centers and chips. Expect this kind of engineered stunt to keep showing up as a proxy metric in the broader US-China robotics competition.

**Topics:** robotics

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Read the original: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/robotics/humanoid-robots-shatter-usain-bolts-100m-record-hits-23-8-mph-before-crashing-into-foam-pads-video-shows-tiangong-ultra-logging-9-39-second-sprint-before-colliding-with-padded-wall
Canonical: https://www.parallelquant.com/posts/humanoid-robots-break-usain-bolt-s-100m-sprint-record-a2484d
Published by Parallel Quant — https://www.parallelquant.com