Darren Morton, a senior lecturer and exercise physiologist at Avondale College of Higher Education, grabs the hand of rival Stu Adams to ensure they cross the finish line together in a dead heat after a gruelling 46-kilometre event.

The pair were competing in the recent Gloucester Mountain Man Tri Challenge.

Adams, of Newcastle, is now a 12-time winner of the event.

"It is likely the last time the event was being held [after 25 years] and Stu had essentially owned the event," Morton said. "I wanted to honour that."

The dead heat was Morton's second victory, and follows his 2013 triumph, the first time he contested the Gloucester event.

"Competition for me is about doing my best and being my best," Morton said.

"Stu was quite an inspiration for me and he had inspired me to do and be my best, not just on the day of the event but also in the training leading up to it. In recognition of this, when I caught him I felt no compulsion to want to beat him."

Morton said the event is the longest continually running multi-sport event in Australia.

More than 300 competitors took part in the 26km mountain bike ride, 11km paddle down the Barrington River, and a 9km run.

Adams led by a minute at the end of the bike leg.

His paddle time was identical to Morton's, so the Cooranbong man trailed by just over a minute coming into the run.

"I caught Stu with about 3km to go and it was at that time that we agreed to finish together."

Morton's act of sportsmanship revived memories of Australian 1500m track runner John Landy who famously stopped mid-race to help fallen rival Ron Clarke back to his feet during the national championship in Melbourne in 1956.

Despite losing significant ground to the field, Landy resumed the race and won, but sacrificed any chance of a world record time.