Australians win race to the top of Empire State Building

A pair of Australians have won the annual race to the top of the Empire State Building in New York. Mark Bourne won for the first time with a time of 10 minutes, 12 seconds to the 86th floor. Fellow Australian Suzy Walsham won the women's division in 12:05 - the fourth time she's won the race, tying the record for most wins by a woman.

"I'm so thrilled that I won," Ms Walsham said, adding that in comparison to previous years, "I feel surprisingly good" at the finish. She's run the race a total of six times. Mr Bourne was doing the climb for the second time. It is "a great feeling to come out on top," he said.

Australians took both second-place slots as well, with Darren Wilson finishing in 10:45 seconds and Brooke Logan finishing in 12:48. The previous men's champion, Thomas Dold of Germany, did not race for what could have been his eighth consecutive title. About 700 people from around the world did take part - up 86 flights of stairs at the Empire State Building. That's a total of 1,576 steps, starting at the lobby and finishing at the observation deck.

The run-up used to be held during the day before being switched to evening hours last year to allow more participation.

The event is put on by the New York Road Runners, which also puts on the annual New York City Marathon.

The race "is a real challenge," said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of NYRR. "This is not something you do any day of the week." Winners: Australia's Suzy Walsham (L) and Mark Bourne She added, "It's a - pun intended - high."

The Empire State Building race is among the more high-profile tower climbs in the world. Participants are coming from around the United States, as well as countries including Belgium, Japan and Papua New Guinea. Runners from around the world took part in the vertical dash up a total of 1,576 steps, starting at the lobby and finishing at the observation deck.

The previous men's champion, Thomas Dold of Germany, did not race for what could have been his eighth consecutive title.

About 700 people from around the world did take part - up 86 flights of stairs at the Empire State Building. That's a total of 1,576 steps, starting at the lobby and finishing at the observation deck.

The run-up used to be held during the day before being switched to evening hours last year to allow more participation. The event is put on by the New York Road Runners, which also puts on the annual New York City Marathon.

The race "is a real challenge," said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of NYRR. "This is not something you do any day of the week."

She added, "It's a - pun intended - high." More than 600 runners from 18 countries are registered for the run.

The vertical race is roughly equivalent to a quarter of a mile, according to the NYRR.

According to the Empire State Building's website, last year's winners were Thomas Dold of Germany and Melissa Moon of New Zealand. They won the Men's and Women's Invitational titles with times of 10:28 and 12:39. It was the second win for Moon and a record seventh win for Dold, according to the website.

Woman driver hits telegraph pole in spacious desert

It is like an accident in the sky or the sea! Similar to two planes or two ships crashing into each other in midair or midsea!

But this driver, a woman, hitting a telegraph pole in a spacious desert is unimaginable. Either she is blind or mad or both!

This astonishing photograph captured in Rio Rancho, Sandoval in New Mexico, is undoubted proof of an extreme case of bad driving.

The careless female motorist inexplicably managed to plough straight into the middle of a 20ft telegraph pole, despite being surrounded by acres of brown and green desert for as far as the eye can see.

And she's sure to be hit in the pocket when she receives the repair bill for her vehicle following this moment of madness behind the wheel.

As one of the most vast and least densely populated states in the US due to its mountainous territory and desert landscape, it's difficult to see how the motorist managed to get into such a predicament.

The damage to the front of the grey car is clearly visible in the snap, with the sheer force of the crash also causing the wooden utility pole to snap on impact.

According to a Rio Rancho police officer, the driver of the vehicle, who had no life-threatening injuries, was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

However, it is not yet known if she will get back behind the wheel.

Unbelievable: The desert crash in New Mexico