The men's 50 kilometres walk event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 6 August 2021 in Sapporo.

[1] 59 athletes competed; the exact number was dependent on how many nations use universality places to enter athletes in addition to the number qualifying through time (no universality places were used in 2016).

Due to the Olympics' movement towards gender equality (the 50 kilometres walk was the only men's event on the 2020 athletics programme with no women's equivalent)[4] and declining fan attendance and TV ratings for the event, the men's 50 kilometres walk was replaced by a mixed-team marathon walk relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was suspended from 6 April 2020 to 30 November 2020, with the end date extended to 31 May 2021.

[2][7] In July 2020, World Athletics announced that the suspension period would be lifted for the road events (marathons and race walks) on 1 September 2020.