MONTICELLO – Cool temperatures and overcast skies provided ideal running conditions Sunday morning as hundreds of runners and walkers gathered at Resorts World Catskills for the 48th Annual Monster Classic Run/Walk, one of the Hudson Valley’s longest-running community fitness events.

Hosted by the Monticello Rotary Club, the annual event featured a 5K run, 5K walk and 10K run, welcoming participants of all ages and abilities. While the challenging Catskills course tested competitors, the atmosphere remained upbeat as athletes traveled from across the East Coast to take part in the nearly five-decade tradition.

The Monster Classic has become known not only for its scenic course, but for its charitable mission. This year’s proceeds will benefit the Sullivan County Veterans Coalition, which provides financial assistance to local veterans facing hardships such as housing, utilities, groceries and transportation to medical appointments, along with several additional charities supported by the Monticello Rotary Club. Race organizers also kept participants fueled throughout the morning with plenty of food and refreshments available for runners, walkers and spectators following the event.

For many competitors, the welcoming atmosphere stood out as much as the competition. One runner, participating in the Monster Classic for the first time, said, “This was a super fun race, and it was a tactical effort. I’ve never run this race before, but it was great.”

Race Chair and Past President Les Kristt was equally pleased with how the event unfolded.

“I think this year’s race went off excellent,” Kristt said. “We’re going to end up making about $10,000 for the Sullivan County Veterans Coalition and $7,000 for other Rotary charities. We had about 260 participants between the three events, a 5K run, a 5K walk and 10K run. This is the sixth year we’ve run it at Resorts World Catskills and the 48th overall Monticello Rotary Monster Race.”

On the course, Kai Dresher captured the 5K title with a winning time of 19:39, narrowly edging Giuseppe Gardner, who finished just one second behind in 19:40. Luke Figueroa rounded out the top three with a time of 20:28. In the 10K, Shmaryahu Storch claimed first place in 39:00, followed by Karl Bressler in 39:28 and Joseph Klarberg in 40:25.

Now in its 48th year, the Monster Classic remains one of the regions’ signature summer events, bringing together competitive runners, casual walkers and families for a morning of fitness, fellowship and fundraising. With another successful race in the books, the longstanding tradition once again demonstrated how a community event can make a lasting impact.

Mens top 5 finishers 10K

Shmaryahu Storch 39:00

Karl Bressler 39:28

Joseph Klarberg 40:25

Giuliano Fransisco 40:54

Jordan Snyder 41:21 

Women’s top 5 finishers 5K

Kristy Sigelakis 21:39

Maria Gelsomino 22:10

Ashlen Sigelakis 23:46

Idy Judowitz 23:49

Jacque Schiffer 25:01

For complete results visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/Overview/162902