Montemayor, Quiñones shine in 7/11 Trail Cross-Country Marathon

MANILA, Philippines – Emmanuel Dave Montemayor went back-to-back in the men’s division as national team mainstay Eusebia Nicole Quiñones reigned supreme in the women’s side of the highly-anticipated 7/11 Trail Cross-Country Marathon over the weekend at the Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.

Montemayor, a Meycauayan, Bulacan native, defended his crown by finishing the dreaded 40-kilometer race in one hour, 42 minutes and seven seconds for a better campaign since his championship ride last year.

The 22-year-old rising star clocked in 1:47:20 last edition and covered the enduring up-and-down trail this year in style, including the newly-unveiled Timberland Bike Park, to best Mark Lowel Valderama (1:43:14) and Dave Rhoa (1:43:34).

“Pinaghandaan ko po talaga para madefend ko ‘yung title. Dahil po ito sa pamilya ko, sa lahat ng mga tumulong at naniniwala sa akin. Para po sa kanila ito,” said Montemayor.

Quiñones, who will celebrate her 23rd birthday next month, timed in 2:15:14 to dethrone fellow national team member Shagne Yao (2:15:17) in a photo finish for a fitting redemption after a third-place finish last edition. Adel Pia Sendrijas (2:15:45) finished third.

Montemayor and Quiñones took home P25,000 prizes apiece and the prestigious trophies as the conquerors of the challenging single-loop course that comprised a mix of road climbs, fire roads, and single tracks for both professional and amateur riders.

Eusebio “Eboy” Quiñones, father of Nicole and a former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist for the Philippine team, also won in the Male 55 and Above age-group category while his son Matthew Symon Quiñones finished 10th in the Male 19 to 24.

The Eusebio family headlined more than a thousand participants for this year’s 7/11 Trail Series that coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Philippine Seven Corporation, the licensor of the renowned convenience stores in the country.

A total of 791 riders out of 1,041 registrants finished the tough race with a 16-year-old racer and a 69-year-old participant being the youngest and oldest finishers, respectively.

“I think we owe cycling a debt of gratitude. It teaches you patience, grit and fearlessness because you crash a lot, especially mountain biking,” said Jose Victor Paterno, President & CEO of Philippine Seven Corporation, who himself participated in the race.

“We are beyond thrilled to introduce Timberland Mountain Bike Park as the focal point of this year's 7-Eleven Trail. It definitely added an exciting dimension to the event, providing an opportunity for participants to experience a whole new thrill of mountain biking.”