First-ever U.S. National Drone Racing Championship

Just a few days ago, the 2015 California State Fair, locally known as “CalExpo”, hosted the first-ever U.S. National Drone Racing Championship.

In the past, we’ve heard about drones used by the military and by farmers dusting fields, but at CalExpo this year, we saw a first — drones used in a sports event.

The drone race featured 120 pilots from all over the world operating packs of drones zipping around an 11,000-seat soccer field stadium. The drones weighed less than a pound and were built for speed. Throughout the race, the drones zig zagged around the 25 lap course at speeds of 80 mph. The big prize was a championship belt buckle and $25,000.

Check out CBS’s coverage of the CalExpo Drone Race.

Everyone is already looking forward to next year’s Second Annual U.S. National Drone Racing Championship.