New York  - Australian Suzy Walsham on Tuesday defended her title in a race up the stairs of New York's Empire State Building, despite falling at the start of the race. German Thomas Dold won the men's race.

Walsham, a 35-year Australian who lives in Singapore, reached the top in 13 minutes and 26 seconds for her third win in a row.

She managed the feat after being pushed to the side and hitting the marble doorway at the stairs' entrance, bruising her face and knee and being stepped on by several other runners, the race's organizers the New York Road Runners said. She then managed to pass 19 other runners.

It was the fourth win in a row for the 24-year-old Dold, putting him one victory shy of the record for consecutive wins. He climbed the 1,576 steps to the building's 86th floor observation deck in 10 minutes and six seconds, about two seconds faster than his time last year.

The record in the 32-year-old contest is held by Australian Paul Crake, who made it in 9 minutes and 33 seconds in 2003. (dpa)