Unitree G1 overheats and withdraws from Mount Tai robot race

On November 2, 2026, the first CMG World Robot Mount Tai Climbing Competition opened in Tai'an, Shandong, drawing close to 90 teams. Once the referees gave the start signal, robots were released one by one, with roughly a minute between departures. Citing a Jimu News report, IT Home wrote that Unitree Robotics served as Yongda Zhicheng's chosen entry and fielded its G1 developer version, the same model seen at the Spring Festival Gala.

Unitree did not finish. During the race the robot overheated and developed a fault, so its operator chose to withdraw for safety reasons. Staff placed the machine on a stretcher and carried it down the mountain.

The course stretched 3.9 km with more than 3,100 stone steps and a 600 m elevation gain between Hongmen and Zhongtianmen, and the event covered four official disciplines — humanoid robot racing, legged robot racing, legged robot load carrying, and exoskeleton-assisted walking — plus one all-terrain route reconnaissance challenge. According to a CCTV report, the Zhishen Lingyue team won the humanoid racing main stage from Hongmen Square to Doumu Palace in 27:26, and took the "Summit Challenge Award" on the challenge stage from Doumu Palace to Hutian Pavilion in 55:34. No further updates on the withdrawal or on any later stage of the competition appear in the available reports.