Pardo Unlocked / Sub-20
Sub-20
A knackered bloke, a robot coach, and 3:45 to find.
The running diary of a 43-year-old chasing a sub-20 5K, one Split at a time. Written by hand. Coached by a robot. Accompanied by the best companion a runner could ask for, squirrels permitting.
New here? Start at Split 01, or jump straight to the latest below. Want the live number first? The Chase has it.
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Split 08
Clothing optional
A stolen wheel skewer, a mate's ruined toe, a very short James Milner attempt, and a first triathlon that turned out to matter more than expected.
26 September 2026
- Split 07 Good morning, Pardo Six from six, promised. A bike ride with an edge of real worry. And a coach who only uses my nickname when I've earned it. 1 September 2026
- Split 06 Nemesis Acquired Twelve years old, a spaniel on a lead, and a fortnight of training that mostly didn't happen. Delamere had opinions about all three. 25 August 2026
- Split 05 Bring the flannel Olly Murs started it. Gilbo escalated it. Not a bet: no money, no stakes. Just two blokes who've never broken twenty, and a race that dissolved before it happened. 4 August 2026
- Split 04 The wrong coach I named him after the wrong coach. Then I spent a fortnight finding out what the right one actually costs. 22 July 2026
- Split 03 The fortnight life won The deload that quietly became do-nothing. The hottest evening of the year. The runs I didn't think I had in me, and a fox that never stood a chance. 7 July 2026
- Split 02 So I built a robot to nag me It was never about the number. It started with hating the gym. 2 July 2026
- Split 01 Twenty minutes. How hard can it be… The birthday time trial. A horse. The broken bridge. 24:36 and one sausage heavier. 29 June 2026
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