SAN MATEO, Rizal – From helping his parents harvest corn and bananas to chasing glory on the national cycling stage, unheralded Quinn Legria Moñasque finally reaped the rewards of his perseverance and hard work.

Eager to prove himself while carrying the hopes of giving his family a better life, the 27-year-old Moñasque brushed off the pressure and bested his seasoned rivals to reign supreme in the 2026 7-Eleven Trail Series Cross-Country Marathon at Timberland Heights Sunday, March 8.

With the weather shifting from gentle breeze to the scorching midday heat, Moñasque, a first-timer in a trail event, shifted to a higher gear midway of the 40-kilometer cross-country marathon before he ultimately clocked 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 35 seconds to clinch the gold medal in the 10th anniversary of the meet.

It was a finish that put the General Santos City native on top of the tight men’s showdown, outpacing Go For Gold bets in Adrian Nacario (1:54:36) and last year’s bridesmaid James Carl Dela Cruz (1:54:37), who settled for the silver and bronze, respectively.

“‘Di ko po in-expect na manalo po ako rito, kasi first time ko lang mag-trail, talagang pinagbutihan ko lang, kasi gusto ko rin patunayan sa sarili ko na kaya ko,” said Moñasque, who fell short in last week’s PhilCycling events in Tagaytay City.

“Buti nalang nanalo ako, kasi wala na akong allowance eh,” he quipped as Moñasque planned to stay for a while in Manila after he and his team decided to join in this year’s Tour of Luzon next month.

Reigning three-peat champion Emmanuel Dave Montemayor failed to retain his crown after his bike broke down almost midway of the race, resulting in the Bulacan cyclist to be listed as Did Not Finish (DNF).

“Nabigla rin po ako na ganun ‘yong nangyari, pero okay lang po babawi nalang po ako next year, and sana do’n mabawi ko ‘yong korona,” said Montemayor.

Jose Victor Paterno, chairman of the Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC) which holds the exclusive license of 7-Eleven here in the country, graced the meet by also joining in the track.

“Yeah, I thought so. Yeah, I expected [na tatagal ‘tong event ng ganto], pero passionate talaga ‘yong mga mountain biker,” said Paterno. “We’re happy that cycling continues to grow here.”