A BALLSY Harpenden man will run the Los Angeles marathon this week dressed up as a giant pair of testicles to raise awareness of cancer among men.

Patrick Cox, of Stuart Road Harpenden, will certainly not fade into the crowd as he runs 26.2 miles through the City of Angels on Monday.

Millions of Spectators lining the Californian city's streets can expect to grab a glimpse of the 36-year-old clad in the charity's mascot costume, Mr Testicles.

His aim is to help raise funds for his organisation, the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign, and promote awareness of prostate, bowel and testicular cancer.

Patrick, who has already completed the New York Marathon and the Chicago Marathon as Mr Testicles, said: "We want to address the male culture - to get lads to go to the doctor when there's something wrong because at the moment many of them don't.

"We want to catch their attention and get that message across in a clear and simple way - cancer, if it's caught early and treated, is curable."

A cancer scare prompted Patrick, then aged 30, to form the charity believing that many men, himself included, were either blissfully ignorant to the risks of the disease or too embarassed to seek help with problems relating to intimate parts of the body.

He admitted: "I went through school, work and no one told me what the early warning signs for cancer were."

Patrick boarded a flight to LA this morning with high hopes of completing the race in six-and-a-half hours while raising £10,000 for the charity.

Anyone wishing to lend their support to Patrick's cause can join the online Facebook group 'Support Mr Testicles Challenge'.