FRANNY Benali’s Big Run has raised enough money to help fund the fight against cancer for the next FIVE years.

That is the verdict of Dr Edd James, a lecturer in Cancer Immunology at the University of Southampton.

So far, Benali has raised £163,827 after running more than 1,000 miles, from Newcastle’s St James’ Park to St Mary’s, via the other 18 Premier League grounds.

With donations continued to come in and Gift Aid yet to be added on, Benali is hoping to raise more than £200,000 in total.

But he has already raised enough to fund research into the immune response against cancer until 2019, at Dr Edd James' lab at the Cancer Research UK Centre at Southampton General Hospital.

Dr James said: "The money raised by Benali’s Big Run would enable this important research to continue for up to five years."

Benali said: “It’s not always easy to appreciate what the money raised can do but when I first heard Dr James say that it put it in perspective.

“It makes me feel very proud and very grateful to everyone who has contributed.”

Six weeks after completing his epic run, Benali is considering another money-raiser.

He said: “It’s given me a buzz to set myself another extreme challenge. I haven’t decided what format it would take or where I would do it but I’m very open to the idea of doing something like that again.”