Fetcheveryone Member of the Month

Interview with fetcheveryone

GregP asks: So the hotel (yes, that one). Do you consider yourself, in any way, a guest or resident?

fetcheveryone says: When you close it up for winter, I'm the guy you hire to look after the place. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy. All work and no play makes Fetch a dull boy.

DrPhleecingD asks: So, those tshirts? Did you actually get them made in Prague, or was it more likely to have been a Birmingham industrial estate?

fetcheveryone says: Being the conscientious and ethically sound person that I am, I haven't got a clue where they were made But judging by the turnaround when I called them at 10pm on a Friday night to tell them they'd spelt 'Fectch' wrong, I suspect they're made in the UK. But possibly in an abandoned mineshaft.

Watford Wobble asks: Where do you see FETCH EVERYONE in the next 2 to 5 years?

fetcheveryone says: Is this a job interview? Erm, I'd like to have consolidated my position as editor, or maybe had the conversation about becoming senior editor of the website. Oh no, wait - there's just me, right? Seriously, I want to be right here, kicking ass.

Huntsman asks: is this insider dealing? Was member of the month fixed

fetcheveryone says: If it was fixed, I would have done it a long time ago Or made the prize a one-off world cruise or something.

Angus Clydesdale asks: Yay!!
So many questions, so little time....... Er......erm.....aha.. Welcome to the Dark Side, I hope you're finding the hotel broom cupboard comfy enough whilst Greppers readies your suite. What do you fancy for your first triathlon distance / event?

fetcheveryone says: I've done two sprint triathlons - I don't know if you count those. There were two younger ladies in the pool saying hello to each other midway through each length, and who went to the changing rooms during transition. I can swim without taking a breather now, which is a bit of a step up for me - so it MIGHT just be on the cards at some point. But probably just another short one!

Jubear asks: Huzzah! Cheers for the tenner, I'll vote for anyone you say So - Longevity: whatever will we do, wherever shall we go when *you* decide to retire and put the website to bed? Not saying that you'll give up before I do... but what if...?

fetcheveryone says: They'll have to prise the joystick from my cold, cold hands. Seriously though, I've got absolutely no plans, not even an inkling of a suggestion of a thought that I'd like to do anything else - and if I ever say so, it's code for "I'm trapped in a basement and they've kidnapped my boy and are forcing him to eat vegetables unless I do what they say".

minardi asks: Many congratulations You have a lot to be proud of with all the runners, couples, weddings, babies and a few cyclists/triathletes around as well - what do you feel most proud of?

fetcheveryone says: I think I've tried to do things the best I can. And people have been massively supportive and appreciative of me. So I'm proud of the fact that doing things without a big marketing department and team of whatsits can really make a difference. I'm proud of how I've enabled all you lot to make this place what it is.

Autumnleaves asks: Congratulations! Which 3 Fetchies that you haven't yet met would you most like to go for a run with and why?

fetcheveryone says: Wow, that's a really difficult one! I've just been looking through my stickerbook, trying to work out who to choose. And it's hard to pick anyone, because I'd like to meet everyone. But if I have to choose, I'd pick HowFar? because he sounds like a lovely bloke, and his blogs are always very entertaining. And I'd also like to meet the spammer that keeps trying to flog kitchens in the forum, so I could personally wring his or her neck

Alice the Camel asks: Congratulations and thanks for this wonderful site. What's your favourite ever running event and why?

fetcheveryone says: I think it has to be the Round Norfolk Relay; and specifically the 2008 event. I was given the glory leg, and had a whole bunch of Fetchies cheering me in to the finish line. Although it was a bit shorter than a half marathon, I think it was also the closest I'd come to getting a sub-1:40, which has always been a bit of a goal - so it was a good run for me too.

Metro_Nome asks: Thank you for this wonderful site. and for introducing me to my future husband I'm guessing you never imagined Fetch would end up quite like it has... is there anything you would change that you've done with it in the last few years?

fetcheveryone says: I would definitely go back about 5 years to the point where the site got hacked, and be waiting for the hackers with a cricket bat with a nail through it.

Ted asks: This has made me do a little happy wee. I only wish I had a suitable question to ask you but, my brain is just full of tumbleweed .............@.... Got it. What emoticon will you roll out next?

fetcheveryone says: Happy wee?

Mrs Jigs (Luverlylegs) asks: Congratulations! A well deserved win I have many reasons to thank you for this wonderful site, the friendships, support and my lovely husband! If Fetcheveryone didn't exist what do you imagine you would be doing work wise?

fetcheveryone says: Thank you When I started doing Fetch as a hobby, I was working as a web developer in a small agency in Bracknell. Although I mainly had a nice time there, I think the challenges were a bit limited. I would like to be a writer, but the fairly boring answer is that I imagine that I would probably still be a web developer.

_andy asks: Congratulations Boss. Let's try colours: if Fetch wasn't Red and Yellow (with a bit of white) what might the colours have been?

fetcheveryone says: We've got a colour scheme?

RichHL asks: Why has this not happened before? And where is the bucket and mop? Ted is refusing to clean up his happy wee. Thanks for the best website... in the world.

fetcheveryone says: Back in the very early days, before we had a prize system, and only about a twentieth of the number of members, I did win. Here's the interview from that time: http://www.fetcheveryone.com/fetch.php

Night-owl asks: Congratulations Who do you see being you if/when they make a film of your life?

fetcheveryone says: If not Richard E Grant (see other answer), then probably Hugh Jackman, so that Katie could get to meet him. But keep your adamantine claws off her Hugh, or there'll be trouble.

Fat Dave asks: Long overdue, fella. I know you've been fighting this for a long time, but just stop and appreciate the love, OK? You've changed so many lives. It's not just a great site full of great people, but it's your presence and guiding hand that really make it special. Your judgement in all that tricky moderatey stuff is so fabulous. You're born to it, mate.

Anyway, a question. Erm...

Proudest moment, both to do with the site and in your own running career?

fetcheveryone says: Lots to mention (and already mentioned in some of the other answers). My 5k PB time in 2008 on the back of a really bad day stands out in terms of my own running. And I don't know about proud, but I was pleased and relieved to put an end to a particularly controversial thread without having to do any banning or blocking.

colindglen asks: Curry or chinese?

fetcheveryone says: Curry, always. There's a pub in Cambridge called The Wrestlers, and both times I've been there, I've had their Thai Green Curry. Both times I've been sweating like a Thanksgiving turkey, but next time we go, I'll probably have the same again.

D2 asks: Eb wants to know when you are going to come and take her for a walk again please?

fetcheveryone says: Awww, lovely Eb. I loved wandering through the snow with her, and a cup of tea with you. If I can't persuade the boy to sledge down your hill this winter, I'll see if he's up for some wild camping again

LazyDaisy asks: So very well deserved! Now then: how's it going to go in the Six Nations for Wales this season?

fetcheveryone says: As always, I'm breathlessly optimistic. I'm hoping we can persuade Shaun Edwards to sign another contract, as our defence has been brilliant, and it'd be great if we can rediscover a bit more attacking play. We have tickets for the Italy match, so if things go extremely well, we might see them get a trophy, or failing that, we've got a chance of winning, which will be nice for my boy to see.

Fitz asks: Desert Island Discs: what are your favourite albums, like, ever? Oh, and congrats by the way. You rock.

fetcheveryone says: If I had to choose an album, I'd choose The Orb's Adventure's Beyond The Ultraworld. It starts with the relatively well-known 'Little Fluffy Clouds', but then it's off into the deepest recesses of, well, the ultraworld. Totally epic. I listened to it once on our night flight back from holiday, with thunder and lightning in the distance, and I nearly went into catatonic bliss. But if we're gonna do D.I.D. properly, then I get eight songs They would be:

Other Lives: For 12


Green Velvet: Bigger Than Prince (Hot Since 82)


Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole : Somewhere Over The Rainbow


Blur: This Is A Low


Sean Paul: Get Busy


Simon & Garfunkel: Homeward Bound


Max Boyce: The Ballad of Morgan The Moon


Britney Spears: Toxic

Foxy asks: Congrats sunshine - 2 questions cos I'm greedy - Favourite Film ? favourite City ?

fetcheveryone says: My favourite film would have to be Leon, because of what happened as a result of it; but I also really love Withnail & I; The Fisher King; Dr Strangelove; Star Wars: A New Hope; The Shawshank Redemption; Napoleon Dynamite; and recently Despicable Me and Guardians of the Galaxy. My favourite city is undoubtedly Bristol, having spent five years there at university.

Pompey Paul asks: I guess you winning this must feel weird but it is so well deserved. So, when you run your first Ultra, what distance will it be and why?

fetcheveryone says: Probably about 26.3 miles, and probably because I went badly wrong in a 10k Look, let's not rule it out, because I like the whole Lord of the Rings big adventure thing and all that, but I mean, seriously? Ok, maybe. A little one.

Ness asks: Congratulations, Fetch. If you could run any overseas race which would you choose and why?

fetcheveryone says: I think I'd be a sucker for one of those big city races, like NY or Chicago or Boston. I liked the bigness and spectacle of London, so I'd like to see how the Americans do it, because they tend to take things up a notch.

Girlie asks: About time to, and thank you for the wonderful world you created.
Are you superstitious when it comes to racing?

fetcheveryone says: Generally speaking, I'm not superstitious or supernatural at all. If you watch closely, you might see me do a little bit of dancing on the start line, but that's about it

pedroscalls asks: Congratulations, well deserved. If time and money was no object, where would you love to go and run?

fetcheveryone says: I dunno about where, but if I didn't have to do any work whatsoever, and could just run, I'd like to see what sort of race times I could do. I've always liked the idea of doing an early run, then getting another kip in before the next run Or perhaps I'd like to go Gump, and just keep going. But I'd miss my wife and family.

GimmeMedals asks: Very deserving, congratulations. The site and its accessories (tshirt designs, games, icons etc) keep evolving - where do you get your ideas from?

fetcheveryone says: Everywhere, I guess. My boy is very much into his gaming, so I get to see a lot of the gameplay, and the way in which the games keep him coming back for more. Sometimes I just wonder about what would happen if I cross one bit of data with another, and whether there'd be a relationship between the two. And I spend at least eight hours a day staring at the site, so sometimes the changes come about because I find rough edges that I can no longer put up with

Argie asks: I was going to ask your opinion about what to dress a newly plastered wall with but of couse we both know you will say some nonsense about cheap emulsion! So sexy girls thread... can I reopen it to celebrate your MOTM I promise it will be classy.

fetcheveryone says: No.

Gooner asks: About bloody time! Does this mean we can call you Lord Fetch again now?

fetcheveryone says: Just Fetch is fine. I always think of Lords as folks who lord it over other people. I'm just me.

Chrisity asks: When the government rations cyberspace, what would be the one blog, one thread, one route, one picture, one game and one race that you can save for eternity. (Katie B can be the one fetchie natch.)

fetcheveryone says: I think I'd have to take McGoohan's blog (for the sheer dailyness and volume of fantastic posts); the 'SERIOUSLY LORD FETCH' thread, so I could devote more time to telling people to use the Feedback link; the now-defunct Rhymney Valley Half Marathon route (it used to go past our back garden when I was a kid); Hanneke's photo of Mick and Phil doing the London Marathon ( http://www.fetcheveryone.com/gallery-showphoto.php?filename=830_12279.jpg ); Conquercise (for its simplicity); and the human race, obvs.

McGoohan asks: *Punches fist into palm* It's about time! This is one cool site with so many cool features and you are the coolest. Accept the love There are so many questions I could ask, about the site, about your life, your hopes, your dreams, your accomplishments. Too many to just choose one. So instead I'll ask: who would win in a fight between a shark and Alien and why? Would your answer be different if the shark had a knife?

fetcheveryone says: Well I think Alien would be all like "look at my multi-layered gob", and the shark would be all like "so what, I've got layers of teeth, and millions of years of evolution. I bet you can't even swim, you wuss!". And then Alien would be all like "well at least I haven't got the sort of overbite that makes it really tricky to eat", and the shark would get a bit annoyed at this, and start thrashing around, but Alien (who probably can't swim - how do you keep the water out of a face like that?) would be wandering around at the side of the pool that I've imagined them having this discussion in. Eventually something would distract one or both of them, and the fight wouldn't happen. All talk, sharks and Aliens. However, if the shark had a knife, it would mess Alien up like a bad perm. Go sharks!

BaronessBL asks: Yay, well done, you've won *pompoms* OK we don't have *pompoms* but you've got to admit they'd be a great way to celebrate this. My question is - how long was it from when you first uploaded the fetcheveryone.com code (or whatever techy thing you did) to thinking 'hang on, this is actually something quite big' and in those early days did you ever imagine all this *stretches out arms*.

fetcheveryone says: There were a few lovely moments that I can recall in the early days. The first was when someone other than me started a thread on Runner's World to say that Fetcheveryone was 'worth a look'. But others have included the first bunch of Fetchies that were prepared to buy Fetch shirts; and the daily stream of suggestions for improvements and upgrades. And getting a Christmas card from Rhino was some of the first concrete proof that the site was starting to mean a lot to other people too.

Grid asks: Yo! Congratulations and that. And thank-you. If you could cross *any* two (or more) animals, which animals would you cross, what new animal would they make and what secret super power would it have?

fetcheveryone says: Napoleon Dynamite has already taken 'Liger', but I like the idea of putting the emphasis on something that generates a cool name, irrespective of what it looks like. On that basis, I'd like to combine a fox and a monkey, to make a funky.

Dibble asks: Many congratulations! Well deserved. Like so many others on this site I have a lot to thank you for. I think that one of the great things about FE compared with alternatives is that you don't feel the need to overhaul the site every so often to give it a modern 'fashionable' look. Is this a conscious decision and will it continue?

fetcheveryone says: I suppose I've always valued function just a little bit higher than form. Added to that, the fact that even if I wanted to make a massive step change in how the site looked, I don't have a project team awaiting my phonecall. And I haven't got a bloody clue Incremental changes are the way forward - I make them, and then you all tell me whether it's better or worse. It's a bit like going to the optician.

HappyG(rrr) asks: Crikey, this is going to be a bigger MotM! Congrats, of course, for winning the prize more prized than an Oscar and Olympic Gold and a Blue Peter badge. I thought you had banned yourself from winning it - only explanation for why it hadn't happened before. So, a Q - something cliquey like do you prefer Gay Gordons or a Dashing White Sergeant (fnar!)? Or a big broad philosophical one: how can running help solve the failures of the western world? Or a proper fetchie one (and this is really concerning me) - what will happen to FetchEveryone.com if/when you eventually decide to move on?! Hopefully not for 100 years tho. Lots o love, G

fetcheveryone says: See my answer to Jubear. And of course at some point we'll take over the world, and all the current Fetchies will be employed to spread the word to a new generation!

westmoors asks: Congratulations. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm struggling with how to phrase it! If you had a proper job, what would it be and why?

fetcheveryone says: No offence taken. I'd like to be a successful children's author, because I'd like to write a book, and frankly I can't see me ever being serious or deep enough to write one for adults.

The Terminator asks: Most deserving recipient ever for sure (except the good looking guy in March 2013 ) Congratulations, feel the love in the room x What one moment in fetch history could sum up everything it means to you?

fetcheveryone says: What it means to me is really quite overwhelming. So in terms of being overwhelmed, it has to include walking into a room full of Fetchies at my first RNR; coming over Tower Bridge knowing that I was about to go past Fetchpoint; going to the Manchester Mile; the Mick and Phil Half; and the hundreds of times when it's been an absolute joy to see people doing something nice for another person - and to have them cite Fetch as a reason why. People are already marvellous, it's just a privilege to see so much of it.

RFJ asks: About time... Congratulations and fully deserved SIR FETCH..... seeing as you are so famous and popular.... To escape all your running buddies and fetch minions what fancy dress outfit would you run in?

fetcheveryone says: I once won a prize at the village carnival dressed as toffee man. I don't want to escape though. Let's all eat bacons (or vegi-bacons) and sit around talking crap.

Corrah asks: Well worth the wait and very well deserved. My question is, what is your favourite post long run recovery snack and a sneaky other question of do you think you will ever make it up to Aberdeen for the fetch mile?

fetcheveryone says: Through an uncomfortable learning process, I've discovered that my stomach needs a bit of time to get ready before I start posting food into my face. Given the freedom to shovel in whatever I'd like, I'd go for marmite on toast, on seedy bread. But when we were marathon training this year, we found that chocolate milk was a good compromise between deliciousness and digestability. Is that a word? It is now.

Mandymoo asks: Congrats and well deserved - what is your biggest weakness food wise?

fetcheveryone says: Probably cheese and onion crisps. I could eat far too many. And minty Clubs.

Duchess asks: Woohoo, well done, most excellent father-of-the-site. What feature of the site do you most wish you'd thought of earlier and why?

fetcheveryone says: Just the whole thing really. I would like to have found running a little sooner too, as it definitely turned a few things around for me. Handling GPS data, and the corresponding maps and graphs that sprang from it was another key moment. How about we say an app - so that I might have got it done by now

Lalli asks: Congrats, well earned! RuthB2 nicked my question, so I will have to ask you this instead; what is your favourite / most useful piece of kit (technical or no) for running with?

fetcheveryone says: Top of my list at the moment is my new Fetch shirt - I'm really pleased with how they've turned out. My watch is a TomTom Multisport Cardio - I love the optical HRM, although the stats available on the watch are a bit bobbins. I've got Gore three-quarter length things that have massive pockets on the sides, great for stashing my phone in. And my trainers are from a manufacturer called Columbia - I've got three pairs, and I really like them. No-one paid me to say any of that, although equally I didn't pay for any of it.

Bintmcskint asks: Yay! Congratulations. Mightily well-deserved. I'm going to submit my usual question with a slight spin (given that asking you to choose one Fetchie is like asking you to pick a favourite child and you'll just cheat and pick the lovely Katie anyway :-))
So...you're on a desert island. All human life has been destroyed in a freak yet remarkably mundane accident. It is your job to rebuild society. You can take one book, one kind of food, one household item and 7 Fetchies to start your new world. Discuss...

fetcheveryone says: The book would obviously be "Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" because it's completely ace. The food would be Marmite on toast, although if anyone didn't like Marmite, I'd let them spread it really thin. The household item (beyond the toaster) would be a table so we could eat on it, write stuff, and do jigsaws at Christmas. And I'd do a poll amongst Fetchies to get them to nominate the survivors, rather than any kind of insisting - although I'd vote for the one that sells the kitchens, for their tenaciousness, and the kitchens. They'd be useful.

oceanspirit asks: Fantastic! Wonderful! My question is: when are we having our next instalment of a half marathon for any kind of cause? I feel I need to take chip timers off the ankles of runners again.

fetcheveryone says: I'd like that. Perhaps we should have one for Fetch. Or Ferris. Either way, it's a great excuse to go to the pub afterwards. Sign me up

Jigs asks: Congratulations :D I can't believe you haven't rigged this...erm, won this before Anyway, You find yourself alone in a room with 3 doors ahead of you. The 1st door has the aroma of marmite spread on toast coming from it, the 2nd door has a trail of icing sugar coming from it, and also it has a sign on it saying 'Victoria Sandwich tasting dept.' From the 3rd door, a playful puppy can be heard yapping, panting a generally being a loon. So....If you could be any character from a film, who would you choose, and why?

fetcheveryone says: It'd either be a wizard or Han Solo, or one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. And as much as I'd like to be Han Solo, I think wizards have more fun. But if I have to be a specific character, maybe Parry from The Fisher King. He was a good guy.

Bru-Bru asks: Congratulations! How did that not happen before? Anyway, I know you like your rugby and as a sympathetic neutral, who do you think should be appointed as the new coach of England?

fetcheveryone says: So long as you don't pinch Shaun Edwards, I don't mind. I think the criticism of Stuart Lancaster has been a bit harsh, and I don't think he deserved to be ejected. As a Welshman, England are one of our greatest and respected rivals - and they were a real handful under Lancaster. With a little bit more luck, things could have been very different.

Hamster1207 asks: Wow - Well done Sir. If ever there was any doubt. But anyway - my question is this - When the Zombie Apocalypse happens which Fetchies would you choose to be in your gang and what weapon would each one have?

fetcheveryone says: I guess no-one who's faster than me, so that I wouldn't be the easiest target for the zombies And we'd have light sabres, naturally.

IanS asks: Congratulations sir and so well deserved - what feature would you most like to add to the site?

fetcheveryone says: Definitely 6.99999 billion more users. Or failing that, then better mobile integration. Everybody's got an app for everything these days.

Captain S asks: Congratulations. I'm interested to know where the name 'Fetch Everyone' came from? It seems a funny name for a running site.

fetcheveryone says: In the movie 'Leon', the corrupt police chief has just tried to get Leon (hitman and hero) out of his apartment, but Leon has killed the entire team of officers. The police chief turns to his second in command, and says "Bring me everyone". I misheard

Sushi. asks: About blooming time!!!!!
How many fetch weddings have you been to now? (Inc your own!)

fetcheveryone says: Including my own, I make it four. The others being: CB and Early Bird; Grid and mad4purple; and santababy and whwrunner. I do love a good wedding, and I think I've cried every time

LindsD asks: Congrats! well-deserved. Sorry to add to the mountain of questions, but what's your favourite racing distance and why?

fetcheveryone says: I think I'm happiest with anything from 5k to half marathon. I haven't fitted in a great deal of racing in the last few years, but I still have ambition to break my 5k, 5 mile, 10k, 10 mile and half marathon bests.