Neophyte steals show, rules 7-Eleven Trail Cross-Country series

Quinn Moñasque (middle) pulled the rug from under his fancied and seasoned rivals by clocking 1 hour, 54 minutes and 35 seconds in crossing the dreaded 40-kilometer mountain trail at the Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.

MANILA, Philippines — A neophyte thousands of miles away from home just became the newest king of the 7-Eleven Trail 2026 Cross-Country Marathon.

Quinn Moñasque, a 26-year-old rider from General Santos City, pulled the rug from under his fancied and seasoned rivals by clocking 1 hour, 54 minutes and 35 seconds in crossing the dreaded 40-kilometer mountain trail over the weekend at the Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.

The Immortal Cycling Team bet did via the slimmest margins, besting the Go For Gold pair of Adrian Nacario (1:54.36) and James Carl Dela Cruz (1:54.37) in a photo finish ahead of the 1,500-strong pack behind.

Not only Moñasque was a first-timer in the renowned 7-Eleven mountain bike race that’s celebrating its 10th anniversary but he’s also a newbie in a cross-country marathon, making the feat more impressive and fulfilling.

“In-enjoy ko lang po ‘yung race. Hindi naman ako sanay sa trail,” he said.

And Moñasque, whose parents are rice and corn farmers in Mindanao, did it on a borrowed mountain bike after bringing only his road bike from Mindanao for the PhilCycling National Road Championships last month in Tagaytay.

Moñasque finished 11th in the criterium and Top 50 in the road race behind a pack of seasoned road riders led by multi-titled Pangasinense and national team veteran Ronald Oranza.

Up against the grizzled trail riders of Go For Gold, the known road specialist played catch up mode to Nacario and Dela Cruz in the first 20 kilometers before trimming the gap slowly but surely in the latter half, especially in the flat terrain to the finish line for the epic win.

“Pinagbutihan at pinagtiyagaan ko lang po talaga. Gusto ko rin patunayan sa sarili ko na kaya ko,” added Moñasque, who looks forward to making his mark once more in the Tour of Luzon next month.

Making it to the national team is next.

“Sipag lang po sa ensayo at tiwala sa sarili. Tiyaga lang. Iyan lang talaga,” he vowed, standing in line as the country’s next cycling great.

Moñasque took home a grand prize of P25,000 with Nacario and Dela Cruz winning P15,000 and P10,000 respectively.

Meanwhile, three-time champion Emmanuel Dave Montemayor saw his streak end after a bike crash in the last 15 kilometers en route to a DNF (Did Not Finish).

National team mainstay Shagne Yao ruled the overall women’s category while former road race champions and now coaches Mark Galedo (40-44) and Eboy Quiñones (50-54) led the champions in age-group categories.

Adel Pia Sendrijas and Dianna Marie Costes completed the women’s podium for P15,000 and P10,000 purse, respectively. Yao, the runner-up last year, netted P25,000.

More than crowning new champions though, 7-Eleven is putting premium on the vision larger than life for Philippine cycling and developing the country’s future champions, here and abroad.

"Reaching our 10th year is a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. What began as a simple idea to encourage people to get outdoors and stay active has grown into a race that brings together riders, families, and communities from all over the country,” said Philippine Seven Corporation chairman Jose Vic Paterno, who participated in the race as well and could have been a finisher like in the past nine years if not for breaking his bike chain thrice.

“Every year, we see athletes push their limits and newcomers take on their first major challenge. That sense of community and shared achievement is what the 7-Eleven Trail is all about.”

Paterno also promises a larger and better race in the next 10 years and beyond, all for his love of Philippine cycling that’s been behind the birth of the now staple 7-Eleven trail series.