The 20km walking race is almost upon us, one of the lesser known Olympic events. 

It may not sound overly complex, but the race is rife with rules, tactics and strategies. 

And it's no mean feat either, the current world records are 1:16:36 for men and 1:23:49 for women. 

The evtn will certainly make for an interesting watch as it takes place in Sapporo Odori Park, so here are all the rules and GB's medal hopes. 

What are the rules for the Olympic race walking?

Race walking is bound by specific rules. 

In racewalking, one foot must always be in contact with the ground as visible to the human eye as it is judges who enforce this rule.

Lack of visible contact is called "lifting" and results in a penalty. 

Here's the complex part. 

Athletes must not bend their leading leg, and the leg must be straight as the body passes over it. 

Again penalties can be given if judges believe an athlete has bent their knee. 

Judges have paddles bearing symbols for administering penalties. 

Three penalties results in disqualification. 

Who is competing in race walking for GB? 

Two athletes will represent Team GB in the race walking: Tom Bosworth and Callum Wilkinson. 

Bosworth, ranked 40th in the world, has a PB of 1:19:38 and will compete in his second Olympics. 

The 31-year old has recently hit the headlines for saying the conditions in Sapporo, the northern Japanese city where some events are being held, are "prison" like. 

Events were moved to Sapporo due to concerns over heat in Tokyo, but Bosworth was unimpressed, tweeting a series of statements before deleting them. 

Meanwhile, Callum Wilkinson is a former junior world champion and has a PB of 1:20:34 going into 20km final in Tokyo. 

In his first Olympic games, the young athlete will hope to make an impact on the big stage

When does the 20km race walking take place?

The men's 20km walking race takes place on Thursday August 5 at 8:30am UK time. 

While the women's race doesn't have GB representation, it will go ahead on Friday August 6 at 8:30am UK time.