Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest
Nathan's Wall of Fame of contest winners, 2019
Status	Active
Genre	Hot dog competitive eating competition
Date(s)	July 4
Frequency	Annually
Venue	Nathan's Famous Corporation
Location(s)	Brooklyn, New York City
Country	United States
Inaugurated	July 4, 1972 (1972-07-04)

The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is a yearly American competition where people eat hot dogs as fast as they can. It happens every July 4th at the first Nathan's Famous restaurant in Coney Island, a lively part of Brooklyn, New York City.

This contest became very popular in the mid-2000s, thanks to famous eaters like Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut. Joey Chestnut is the current men's champion, having eaten 70.5 hot dogs in the 2025 contest. Miki Sudo is the current women's champion, eating 33 hot dogs in 2025.

How the Contest Works

Nathan's original Coney Island location

The contest has been officially organized by Major League Eating (MLE) since 1997. Only eaters who have a contract with MLE can compete.

About 20 people usually compete. These include:

• any past champion
• winners from regional qualifying contests
• two "wildcard" entries (people with the highest scores who didn't win a qualifier)
• people invited specially by MLE

Competitors stand at a long table with hot dogs, buns, and drinks. Most use water, but other drinks are allowed. Sauces like ketchup or mustard are permitted but rarely used. The hot dogs are cooled a bit to prevent burns. The person who eats and keeps down the most hot dogs and buns (HDB) in ten minutes wins. The contest time has changed over the years, but it has been 10 minutes since 2008.

Crowds watch and cheer loudly. Each eater has a scorekeeper who counts every hot dog eaten. Even partially eaten hot dogs count. Hot dogs still in the mouth at the end of the time limit count if they are swallowed afterward. Eaters can get a yellow card for messy eating. A red card means disqualification if an eater gets sick. If there's a tie, competitors have an eat-off with five hot dogs. If it's still a tie, they eat one more hot dog to see who finishes fastest.

After the winner is announced, a special plate showing their winning number of hot dogs is brought out for photos.

Prizes and Awards

The men's winner receives a special "bejeweled" mustard-yellow belt. Its age and value are unknown, but it stays with the champion. In 2011, Sonya Thomas won the first women's competition and a "bejeweled" pink belt.

Other prizes have been given over the years. For example, in 2004, the travel company Orbitz gave a travel package to the winner. Since 2007, cash prizes have been awarded to the top eaters.

Contest History

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held at its original Coney Island location almost every year since about 1972. It usually takes place on July 4th. In earlier years, some contests were held on other summer holidays like Memorial Day or Labor Day.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Japanese eaters were very dominant. Takeru Kobayashi won six times in a row from 2001 to 2006. In 2001, Kobayashi changed competitive eating forever by eating 50 hot dogs. This was a huge jump from the previous record of 25.5. He used new eating and training methods that broke many world records. The contest's popularity grew as competitive eating became more well-known worldwide.

Today, the event is a big show. Days before the contest, there's a public weigh-in with the mayor of New York City. Some competitors wear fun costumes or makeup. They might also have cool eating nicknames. On the morning of the contest, they arrive at Coney Island on a "bus of champions." Each eater is introduced individually on stage. In 2013, six-time champion Joey Chestnut was even carried to the stage in a special chair!

Many spectators and news reporters come to watch the contest. In 2004, a "Hot Dog Eating Wall of Fame" was built at the contest site. It lists past winners and has a digital clock counting down to the next event. In 2007, about 50,000 people came to watch. Even after Hurricane Sandy damaged Nathan's in 2012, the restaurant was fixed, and the 2013 contest happened as planned.

ESPN has shown the contest on TV for many years. They have a deal to broadcast the event through 2029.

In 2003, former football player William "The Refrigerator" Perry competed as a celebrity. He ate only four hot dogs and stopped early. Since then, no other celebrities have competed.

At the 2007 contest, the results were delayed to check if Kobayashi had gotten sick. If an eater gets sick, they are disqualified. The judges decided he had not.

On July 4, 2011, Sonya Thomas became the first champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest for Women. Before this, men and women competed together, except for one contest in 1975. Thomas ate 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes to win the first pink belt and $10,000.

In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest was held indoors without fans. Only five eaters competed in each category instead of the usual 15. In 2021, the event was held at Maimonides Park with a smaller crowd of 7,000 people.

Competitor Bans

Takeru Kobayashi has not competed since 2009. This is because he refused to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating. In 2010, he was arrested after trying to get on stage after the contest. Some people said he was trying to congratulate the winner, Joey Chestnut. All charges against Kobayashi were later dropped. Even though he won six times, Nathan's removed Kobayashi's picture from their "Wall of Fame" in 2011. In 2011, Kobayashi held his own hot dog eating event, eating 69 hot dogs, which was more than Chestnut ate in the official contest.

Joey Chestnut was not allowed to compete in the 2024 contest. This was because he signed a deal with Impossible Foods, a company that sells plant-based hot dogs. Major League Eating said Nathan's asked for an exception, but it was denied, leading to Chestnut's ban. On June 25, 2024, Chestnut instead competed in a different eating challenge at Fort Bliss, where he ate 57 hot dogs in 5 minutes and helped raise $106,000 for charity.

Contest's Fake History

In 2010, Nathan's promoter Morty Matz admitted that he and a man named Max Rosey made up the story of the contest starting in 1916. This was a publicity stunt in the early 1970s.

The made-up story claimed that on July 4, 1916, four immigrants had a hot dog eating contest at Nathan's to see who was the most patriotic. Some stories even said famous people like Jimmy Durante, Eddie Cantor, and Sophie Tucker were involved. Nathan's also falsely claimed the contest happened every year since then, except for 1941 (due to war) and 1971 (due to political unrest).

This made-up story grew over the years. Even The New York Times and other newspapers often reported 1916 as the first year, even though there was no real proof.

Contest Results

Winners by Year

Year	Winner (and date, if not July 4th)	Hot dogs and buns (HDB)	Contest duration	Notes
2025	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	70+1⁄2	10 min
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	33
2024	MEN'S Patrick Bertoletti	58	10 min	Joey Chestnut was not in the men’s event for the first time since 2004 due to a sponsorship issue. Miki Sudo set a new women’s record with 51 HDB.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	51
2023	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	62	10 min
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	39+1⁄2
2022	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	63	10 min	Miki Sudo returned after her pregnancy to win again. Joey Chestnut put a protester in a chokehold during the event.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	40
2021	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	76	10 min	The event was held at Maimonides Park with fewer people. Joey Chestnut broke the world record with 76 HDB. Defending champion Miki Sudo did not compete due to pregnancy.
	WOMEN'S Michelle Lesco	30+3⁄4
2020	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	75	10 min	This was the first time the event was held indoors without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joey Chestnut broke the world record with 75 HDB. Miki Sudo broke the women's world record with 48.5 HDB.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	48+1⁄2
2019	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	71	10 min	Joey Chestnut won his 12th title. Sudo won her sixth Nathan's belt.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	31
2018	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	74	10 min	Joey Chestnut broke the world record with 74 HDB. Sudo won her fifth women's belt.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	37
2017	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	72	10 min	Joey Chestnut broke the contest record with 72 HDB. Sudo won her fourth women's title.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	41
2016	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	70	10 min	Joey Chestnut won his ninth title, eating a record-breaking 70 hot dogs and buns. Sudo won her third women's title.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	38+1⁄2
2015	MEN'S Matt Stonie	62	10 min	Matt Stonie ended Joey Chestnut's 8-year winning streak. Sudo won her second women's belt.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	38
2014	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	61	10 min	Joey Chestnut won his 8th straight title. Miki Sudo won the women's title, beating Sonya Thomas for the first time.
	WOMEN'S Miki Sudo	34
2013	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	69	10 min	Joey Chestnut beat his own record with 69 HDB. Sonya Thomas won her third women's title.
	WOMEN'S Sonya Thomas	36+3⁄4
2012	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	68	10 min	Chestnut tied his previous record and won his sixth title in a row. Sonya Thomas broke the female record with 45 HDB.
	WOMEN'S Sonya Thomas	45
2011	MEN'S Joey Chestnut	62	10 min	Separate contests were held for women and men for the first time since 1975. Chestnut won his fifth straight title. Sonya Thomas won the first women's event.
	WOMEN'S Sonya Thomas	40
2010	Joey Chestnut	54	10 min
2009	Joey Chestnut	68	10 min	Chestnut beat his previous record, setting new event and world records. Sonya Thomas broke the female record.
2008	Joey Chestnut	59 Eat-off: 5	10 min Eat-off: 50 sec.	This was the first event with the new ten-minute time limit. Chestnut and Kobayashi tied, leading to an eat-off.
2007	Joey Chestnut	66	12 min	Chestnut finished first, setting new event and world records. He defeated Kobayashi for the first time. Sonya Thomas set a female record.
2006	Takeru Kobayashi	53+3⁄4	12 min	Kobayashi set new event and world records.
2005	Takeru Kobayashi	49	12 min	Sonya Thomas set a U.S. and Women's record.
2004	Takeru Kobayashi	53+1⁄2	12 min	New event and world records were set. Sonya Thomas set the female and U.S. records.
2003	Takeru Kobayashi	44+1⁄2	12 min	Sonya Thomas set the female record.
2002	Takeru Kobayashi	50+1⁄2	12 min	New event and world records were set.
2001	Takeru Kobayashi	50	12 min	All-time world records were set.
2000	Kazutoyo Arai	25+1⁄8	12 min	The contest was won by a mattress salesman from Japan.
1999	Steve Keiner	21+1⁄2	12 min	The contest was won by a man from New Jersey.
1998	Hirofumi Nakajima	19	12 min	The contest was won by the reigning champion from Japan.
1997	Hirofumi Nakajima	24+1⁄2	12 min	Japanese contestants continued to do very well.
1996	ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN Hirofumi Nakajima December 4	23+1⁄4	12 min	The Independence Day contest was won by a man from Queens. A later contest was held in Central Park and won by a man from Japan.
	Ed Krachie Independence Day	22	12 min
1995	Ed Krachie Independence Day	19+1⁄2	12 min	The contest was won by an engineer from Queens.
1994	Mike DeVito Independence Day	20	12 min	The contest was won by the reigning champion, an accountant.
1993	ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN Mike DeVito October 27	18	30 min	The Independence Day contest was won by a former champion. A later contest was held under the Brooklyn Bridge and also won by DeVito.
	Mike DeVito Independence Day	17	12 min
1992	Frankie Dellarosa Independence Day	19	12 min	The contest was won by the reigning champion.
1991	Frankie Dellarosa Independence Day	21	12 min	The contest was won by an engineer and football coach.
1990	Mike DeVito Jay Green Independence Day	15	12 min	The contest ended in a tie.
1989	Jay Green Independence Day	15+1⁄2	12 min	The contest was won by the reigning champion.
1988	Jay Green Independence Day	10	12 min	The contest was won by a limousine service manager.
1987	Don Wolfman Independence Day	13+1⁄2	10 min
1986	Mark Heller Independence Day	15+1⁄2	10 min	The Independence Day contest was won by a 245-pound man. An earlier contest was won by a student from Japan.
	ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN Hiroaki Tominaga February 11	10+1⁄2	10 min
1985	Oscar Rodriguez Independence Day	11+3⁄4	12 min	The contest was won by a 21-year-old man.
1984	Birgit Felden Independence Day	9+1⁄2	10 min	The contest was won by a 17-year-old German judo team member.
1983	Emil Gomez Independence Day	10+1⁄2	10 min	The contest was won by an accountant from the Bronx.
1982	Steven Abrams Independence Day (observed July 5)	11+	10 min	The contest was held on July 5th because Independence Day was on a Sunday.
1981	Thomas DeBerry Independence Day	11	5 min	The contest was won by a gardener from Coney Island.
1980	Joe Baldini Paul Siederman Independence Day	9+3⁄4+ Eat-off: 3+1⁄2	10 min Eat-off: 3 min	The contest ended in a tie, and then another tie after an eat-off.
1979	Luther Frazier Jim Mattner Independence Day	10 Eat-off: 3+1⁄2	10 min Eat-off: 3+1⁄2 min	The contest ended in a tie, and then another tie after an eat-off.
1978	Manel Hollenback Kevin Sinclair Memorial Day	10	6+1⁄2 min	The contest was held on Memorial Day and ended in a tie.
1976–1977	(no documented contests)
1975	MEN'S Lonnie Brown Memorial Day	8	3+1⁄2 min, with a 1 min break	An all-female contest was planned, but men were allowed to join.
	WOMEN'S Sharlene Smith Memorial Day	8+1⁄2
1974	Walter Paul Paul Sirop Labor Day	(unknown)	(unknown)	The first 1974 contest was in April. The second was on Independence Day. The third was on Labor Day and ended in a tie.
	Roberto Muriel Independence Day	10	3+1⁄2 min
	John Connolly Opening day of Coney Island's summer season (April 7)	9	2+1⁄2 min
1973	(unknown) Independence Day	(unknown)	(unknown)	The April contest was canceled due to a meat shortage.
	(canceled) Opening day of Coney Island's summer season (April 7)	—	—
1972	Melody Andorfer Labor Day	12	5 min	The first 1972 contest was in May. The second was on Labor Day and was won by a young woman.
	Jason Schechter Memorial Day	14	3+1⁄2 min
1968–1971	(no documented contests)
1967	Walter Paul Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog (June 30)	17	60 min	The contest was held to celebrate 100 years of the hot dog.

Winners by Champion

Number of Titles	Name	Year(s)
17	Joey Chestnut	2007–2014, 2016–2023, 2025
11	Miki Sudo	2014–2020, 2022–2025
6	Takeru Kobayashi	2001–2006
4	Mike DeVito	1990, 1993 (Independence Day & October 27)–1994
3	Jay Green	1988–1990
3	Hirofumi Nakajima	1996 (December 4)–1998
3	Sonya Thomas	2011–2013
2	Frankie Dellarosa	1991–1992
2	Ed Krachie	1995–1996
2	Walter Paul	1967 (Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog), 1974 (Labor Day)
1	Steven Abrams	1982
1	Melody Andorfer	1972 (Labor Day)
1	Kazutoyo Arai	2000
1	Joe Baldini	1980
1	Patrick Bertoletti	2024
1	Lonnie Brown	1975 (Memorial Day)
1	John Connolly	1974 (Opening day of Coney Island's summer season)
1	Thomas DeBerry	1981
1	Birgit Felden	1984
1	Luther Frazier	1979
1	Emil Gomez	1983
1	Mark Heller	1986
1	Manel Hollenback	1978
1	Steve Keiner	1999
1	Michelle Lesco	2021
1	Jim Mattner	1979
1	Roberto Muriel	1974
1	Oscar Rodriguez	1985
1	Jason Schechter	1972 (Memorial Day)
1	Paul Siederman	1980
1	Kevin Sinclair	1978
1	Paul Sirop	1974 (Labor Day)
1	Sharlene Smith	1975 (Memorial Day)
1	Matt Stonie	2015
1	Hiroaki Tominaga	1986 (February 11)
1	(unknown)	1973
1	Don Wolfman	1987

Winners by Contest Type

Joint Male & Female Competitions (1967, 1972–1974, 1978–2010)

Number of Titles	Name	Year(s)
6	Takeru Kobayashi	2001–2006
4	Joey Chestnut	2007–2010
3	Mike DeVito	1990, 1993–1994
3	Jay Green	1988–1990
2	Frankie Dellarosa	1991–1992
2	Ed Krachie	1995–1996
2	Hirofumi Nakajima	1997–1998
2	Walter Paul	1967 (Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog), 1974 (Labor Day)
1	Steven Abrams	1982
1	Melody Andorfer	1972 (Labor Day)
1	Kazutoyo Arai	2000
1	Joe Baldini	1980
1	John Connolly	1974 (Opening day of Coney Island's summer season)
1	Thomas DeBerry	1981
1	Birgit Felden	1984
1	Luther Frazier	1979
1	Emil Gomez	1983
1	Mark Heller	1986
1	Manel Hollenback	1978
1	Steve Keiner	1999
1	Jim Mattner	1979
1	Roberto Muriel	1974
1	Oscar Rodriguez	1985
1	Jason Schechter	1972 (Memorial Day)
1	Paul Siederman	1980
1	Kevin Sinclair	1978
1	Paul Sirop	1974 (Labor Day)
1	(unknown)	1973
1	Don Wolfman	1987

Men's-Only Competitions (1975, 2011–Present)

Number of Titles	Name	Year(s)
11	Joey Chestnut	2011–2014, 2016–2023, 2025
1	Patrick Bertoletti	2024
1	Lonnie Brown	1975 (Memorial Day)
1	Matt Stonie	2015

Women's-Only Competitions (1975, 2011–Present)

Number of Titles	Name	Year(s)
8	Miki Sudo	2014–2020, 2022–2025
3	Sonya Thomas	2011–2013
1	Michelle Lesco	2021
1	Sharlene Smith	1975 (Memorial Day)

One-on-One Challenges with Japan (1986, 1993, 1996)

Number of Titles	Name	Year
1	Mike DeVito	1993 (October 27)
1	Hirofumi Nakajima	1996 (December 4)
1	Hiroaki Tominaga	1986 (February 11)

Media Coverage

Live TV Broadcasts

In 2003, ESPN showed the contest for the first time, but not live. Starting in 2004, ESPN began broadcasting it live. From 2005 to 2017, Paul Page was the main announcer, with Richard Shea as the commentator. In 2011, the women's competition was shown live on ESPN3, followed by the men's on ESPN. ESPN has extended its agreement to show the contest until 2029.

In 2021, Miki Sudo did not compete because she was pregnant. Instead, she joined the announcing team.

Movies and TV Shows

The Nathan's contest has been shown in several documentaries and TV programs:

• "A Different Story" (1996) – on CNN
• "Red, White, and Yellow" (1998)
• "A Hot Dog Program: An All-American, Culinary Cruise Through Hot Dog History" (1999)
• "Gut Busters" (2002) – for Discovery Channel
• "Footlong" (2002)
• "The Tsunami – Takeru Kobayashi" (2003) – a Japanese film
• "Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating" (2004)
• "The Most Extreme", "Big Mouths" episode (2004) – on Animal Planet
• Cheap Seats (2004)
• "True Life" (2006) – an MTV documentary
• Hungry (2013) – a documentary about the contract dispute between Nathan's and Kobayashi
• "30 for 30: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry" (2019) – an ESPN Documentary

Eating Tactics and Training

Each competitor has their own way of eating. Takeru Kobayashi invented the "Solomon Method" in 2001. This involves breaking each hot dog in half, eating the two halves, and then eating the bun.

"Dunking" is a very common method today. Eaters dip the buns in water and squeeze them. This makes the buns easier to swallow and helps them slide down quickly.

Other methods include:

• "Carlene Pop": The eater jumps up and down while eating to help push the food down.
• "Buns & Roses": Similar to the "Carlene Pop," but the eater sways from side to side.

Competitors train in different ways. Some don't eat much before the event. Others only drink liquids. Takeru Kobayashi meditates, drinks water, eats cabbage, and then fasts before the contest. Some eaters, like Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, try to be "hungry, but not too hungry" and have a light breakfast on contest day.

See Also

• Glutton Bowl
• Krystal Square Off
• Horsemen of the Esophagus
• Man v. Food
• Wing Bowl