THE organiser of a York fun run in aid of prostate cancer research has spoken of his hopes for an even bigger and better event next year.

When Brian Hughes set up the R U Taking the P? run he did not imagine that five years on it would have raised £69,000.

He was driven to set up the Rowntree Park 5km race after losing a friend to the disease and after another had to undergo a prostatectomy only weeks after losing his wife.

It has gradually become more successful with hundreds taking part in 2014's run. All money raised goes via Yorkshire Cancer Research to the University of York's Yorkshire Cancer Research laboratory where ground breaking research is being led by Professor Norman Maitland. Since 2002, Yorkshire Cancer Research has given more than £8million to Prof Maitland. 

Brian, a former York Press Community Pride person of the year winner, said said he now hopes to reach £100,000 in fundraising.

My best pal died of prostate cancer. I thought I had to do something - and it's about time men did something. I thought a run would be a good way of getting people out."

As the most common cancer for men in the UK, tens of thousands of men die from the disease every year, but Brian said if men proactively raised money for research in the way women do with Race for Life, significant progress could be made.

Many do not realise the impact of radical surgery which can be used to treat the disease can result in impotency and incontinence, he said.

Brian credits the success of last year's race - which was backed by Yorkshire celebrities Michael Parkinson, Billy Pearce and Berwick Kaler - to the support of high profile names and a successful publicity campaign.

For 2015 he hopes to get even more big names and that comic Yorkshireman Keith Lemon may give his backing.

"I hope more men stop and think about their own health or somebody else's," Brian said.

For the latest information on the event find the R U Taking the P? page on Facebook.

Fact file

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with over 40,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly and symptoms often only become apparent when the prostate is large enough to affect the urethra.

This can result in an increased need to urinate, straining while urinating and a feeling the bladder has not fully emptied.

The causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown. However, most cases develop in men aged 50 or older.