A surveyor uses the "calibrated bicycle measurement method" for surveying work.

The 2025 Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon will start at 7:30 am April 13 in Beijing E-Town. In preparation for the event, the Chinese Athletics Association measured the full length of the 21.0975-kilometer track on March 15.

Track measurement helps ensure the environment and quality of the course, thus helping runners to achieve good results. The track measurement for this event has reportedly adopted the internationally common method of "calibrating bicycle measurement", using bicycles with "Jones counters" installed in their front wheel bearings.

As measurers ride the bicycles, every point along the track is recorded through the rotation of the bicycle wheel and the Jones counter, yielding precise measurement values of each kilometer.

The measurement team also marked each corresponding point such as beverage stations, water stations, supply stations and medical aid stations, making adjustments and optimizations to the track details based on actual conditions. This provided important information for the organization and arrangement of the event.

The 2025 Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon has attracted over 30,000 participants, a record number. The starting point is located at the South Gate of Phase I of Nanhaizi Park, and the course passes through iconic locations such as Nanhaizi Park, Wenbo Bridge, Paulownia Avenue and along multiple key enterprises. The finish line is at the National Park for Information Technology Application Innovation Industries.

Humanoid robots will start the race alongside the participating athletes at the starting point.