The event usually nets around $100,000 for Albury Wodonga Health, but chief organiser Michelle Hudson said having a cap on runners and staging the walk virtually would dent that figure.

"We will be happy if we raise $10,000," she said.

"The objective for this event is more about community celebration, (saying) thanks to Albury Wodonga Health (and) bringing the communities back together and reconnecting them."

Ms Hudson said unlike in previous years entry fees would go towards covering some costs rather being purely being allocated to the hospitals.

"We asked us less of our sponsors so we can keep that partnership going," she said.

Money raised through next February's City2City will benefit staff room services within Albury Wodonga Health.

Chief executive Michael Kalimnios said distancing rules meant new areas forming that needed equipment.

"It gives people an opportunity if they don't have a coffee machine or a toaster or that sort of stuff to upgrade amenities," he said.

Albury Wodonga Health's director of pandemic response Leisa Bridges cited the example of a theatre tea room which has gone from a capacity for 40 staff to 20.

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She is among the scores of hospital staff who will participate in the run, having been involved each year and completing the 10km section with her son Hugh, 10, last year.

Wodonga mayor Kev Poulton will be debuting, having been in the Nail Can Hill and Fed Hill runs previously.

"Fitness level is not as good as it used to be, anything beyond about two kilometres has me stitched up, but there's definitely aspiration there," Cr Poulton said.

"I've got time to get back into training."

Cr Poulton is keen to challenge Hume Bank chief executive Stephen Capello, whose organisation was the inaugural major sponsor and has maintained that role despite a turbulent year.

He said that commitment had not been reconsidered despite the complications of COVID.

"It's an amazing cause and things like what we're doing here, it doesn't diminish in its importance during tough times," Mr Capello said.

"You find a way, you come together and it's probably when you need more of that connectivity with local businesses supporting each other and we see this as one of the real prominent examples of how we support the community in a real visible way."

Registration for the event will open on January 11 via the City2City website.

There will be 7.5km. 10km and 15km fun runs held on February 21 with the walk and talk to be completed virtually across the month.

Socially distancing concerns prompted the alteration to the walk, with the runs to launch through rolling starts with entrants separated into chutes in groups of three to four.