KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — The Malaysia Marathon will have a couple of unusual participants this year who do not need running shoes, energy gels or, presumably, a motivational playlist.

Honor is bringing two of its humanoid robots, the A1 and D1, to Malaysia for their first public appearance outside China, with the machines scheduled to take part in the Malaysia Marathon 2026 on August 30 before joining the National Day parade in Putrajaya a day later.

It is an unusually public outing for technology more commonly associated with laboratories and carefully staged demonstrations. Instead, Honor is putting its machines into the considerably messier world of road races, crowds and national celebrations.

The more ambitious assignment goes to the D1.

According to Honor, the robot will tackle the event’s 10KM category, starting from Pavilion Kuala Lumpur at midnight. The company says the run will put its speed, stability and terrain-traversal capabilities to the test.

The A1 gets the comparatively relaxed shift, joining participants in the 5KM event from KLCC at 7.30am. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is also due to take part in the category, according to the company.

D1 already has some running form.

Honor says the robot won the second Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon in April, where it demonstrated what the company describes as advanced mobility and endurance beyond the laboratory. Malaysia will be the first country outside China to see the robots in action.

That makes the Kuala Lumpur appearance more than a conventional product showcase. Putting a humanoid robot on a public road course offers a far more immediate demonstration of what it can do than a specification sheet or controlled stage presentation.

And Honor is not stopping at the finish line.

On August 31, the A1 and D1 are scheduled to head to Dataran Putrajaya and join Malaysia’s National Day parade. Honor says it will be the company’s first appearance as a parade contingent and describes itself as the first smartphone brand to participate in the celebrations.

Before that, both robots are due to appear at Honor booths at KLCC and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on August 29 and 30, where visitors will be able to see the machines up close and take photos with them.

There will, naturally, also be phones.

Honor plans demonstrations involving its Magic V6, X9d and 600 Series, including a pull-up challenge centred on the Magic V6’s hinge durability and tests involving putting the X9d through a washing machine and using a staple gun on its screen.

But the robots are likely to steal the show.

For decades, humanoid robots were mostly shorthand for a distant technological future. Now, at least for one Merdeka weekend, two of them will be running through Kuala Lumpur and marching in Putrajaya.

The future, apparently, has entered the 10KM category.

 Malay Mail – Tech-gadgets