With two weeks to go until the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Taicang 2018, the provisional entry lists have been published.

Including reserves, 386 athletes from 49 teams have been entered for what is set to be the biggest ever global race walking competition held outside of Europe.

When China first hosted the event in Beijing in 1995, 330 athletes from 36 countries took part. Four years ago, when the event was held in Taicang, there were 349 athletes from 48 teams. This year's edition will bring another increase on those figures.

The IAAF website and its social media channels will be providing full coverage of the championships, including previews, live results, reports, multimedia and features.

Official start lists will be available on Friday 4 May at about midday local time.

(from the web site of IAAF)

Provisional entry lists: click here

Learn the "Way of the walk" series to help explain some of the rules, finer details and training that the discipline requires through interviews with Jane Saville, Jefferson Perez, and Robert Korzeniowski.

First instalment - "loss of contact": click here

Second instalment - "straightened leg rule": click here

Third instalment - "the carding system": click here

Fourth instalment - "the Pit Lane": click here

Fifth instalment - "Nutricion": click here

Sixth instalment - "Training": click here