BEIJING — It was not even close as a bright red Chinese humanoid named “Lightning” lived up to its name in a half-marathon pitting humans against robots, smoking its competition on Sunday

Chinese startups are churning out more humanoid robots than their U.S. rivals, despite far lower valuations.

In a 3,000-square-meter facility built on the grounds of a decommissioned steelworks in Beijing’s Shijingshan district, humanoid robots are learning to see fire, feel heat, and navigate wreckage. The training center,