Walkers, including former St George Illawarra players Shaun Timmins and Dan Hunt, started on foot from the Innovation Campus in Fairy Meadow early Saturday morning.

Their journey extending 100 kilometres over the weekend to end in St George, with a fundraising dinner in between.

The event also included an ocean paddle and car rally.

CEO of the St George and Sutherland Medical Research Foundation (SSMRF) Peter Christopher said they expected to raise around half a million dollars in total which would go to a range of research from pregnancy to caner.

“There’s not enough money for medical research,” he said.

“Research is funded a lot by the government but that’s not enough. For national medical research about 12 per cent of all applications are funded.”

The event was the brain child of Madeline Tynan, a member of the SSMRF board, following the death of her father in February.

They decided to choose a walk because it was an easy way for people to get involved and “do something”, while Mr Christopher said the trail is unique to other fundraisers.