Joey Chestnut wins 18th Nathan's hot dog eating contest with 66 dogs in 10 minutes
Competing in sweltering heat at Coney Island on Saturday, the competitive eating champion defended his Mustard Belt, falling short of his own 2021 record of 76 hot dogs.
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Crowds gathered in sweltering heat on Saturday at Coney Island to celebrate the United States' 250th birthday by watching famed competitive eater Joey "Jaws" Chestnut defend his world hot dog eating championship. Chestnut downed 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes.
Saturday marked the 18th time Chestnut, 42, won the so-called Mustard Belt in just 21 appearances at the internationally televised Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. He beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia, and South Korea.
Chestnut handily defeated second-place winner Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who ate 50 hot dogs, but fell short of his own 2021 record of 76 hot dogs. "Dang, I got so much room left," Chestnut told an ESPN interviewer after the competition, disappointed he wasn't able to top his previous record.
In the women's division, defending champion Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won the bright pink Mustard Belt for the 12th time, downing 38.75 hot dogs. In 2024, she ate a record 51 links. Both champions said the heatwave that scorched New York on Saturday — bringing temperatures in Brooklyn to roughly 90 degrees Fahrenheit — made the competition much more difficult. ESPN announcers said the humidity changed the consistency of the buns.
A large crowd braved the heat to watch the event at the original Nathan's Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, which has been operating since 1972. The superfans who stood closest to the stage wore ponchos as protection in case a competitor threw up.
