Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

On July 4, 2009, at the end of ten minutes, Joey Chestnut came out on top! He ate a fantastical 68 hot dogs! He is now the second person to win 3 consecutive titles. The belt will stay in the United States.

The top five finishers are

1. Joey Chestnut - 68 hot dogs. (World Record)
2. Takeru Kobayashi - 64.5 hot dogs
3. Patrick Bertoletti - 55 hot dogs
4. Tim Janus - 53 hot dogs.
5. Bob Shoudt - 41.75 hot dogs

Full Results

The story begins on July 4, 1916. Four immigrants on Coney Island, New York were having a dispute about who was the most patriotic. Clearly, the only way to settle it was to see who could eat the most hot dogs. And thus, the Independence Day tradition was formed. James Mullen won the first competition with 13 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Almost every year since then, the contest has been held at noon (12:40pm beginning in 2004) on Coney Island with hot dogs provided by Nathan's Famous.

In 1997, the competition became sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). They now require entrants to be at least 18 years old and under contract with the IFOCE, qualifying by being the defending champion, winning a regional qualifier, getting a wildcard slot, or receiving an invitation from the IFOCE. Officials at the competition are part of Major League Eating, who also provide Bunnettes to count the number of hot dogs eaten. The contest winner gets to take the "Mustard Belt" to his home country until the battle for it begins the next year. Cash prizes were first awarded in 2009 with $20,000 for first place. First place also typically wins a few cases of hot dogs.

ESPN live coverage began in 2004. Coverage began at noon but the competition itself was moved to 12:40pm.

Find more details on Wikipedia. Image by David Shankbone.

The data for this incomplete graph is drawn from Wikipedia, and there are some unknowns about the length of the competition in earlier years.

Recent first place finishers:

• 2007-2009: Joey Chestnut
• 2001-2006: Takeru Kobayashi
• 2000: Kazutoyo Arai

The first step is to register with the IFOCE. After registration, you'll receive updates about the when's and where's of competitive eating competitions. Many competitions are open, meaning the contestants chosen are first-come, first-served.

While there are many websites with tips on how to train, the IFOCE emphasizes safety and does not endorse any kind of at-home training.

You may also want to check out Major League Eating, where you can find information on becoming a Bunnette. (What's that?)

For the hot dog eating competition, keep an eye on the Schedule of Events. Your best bet is to win one of these qualifiers in order to secure your spot in the July 4th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition!

Image from Nathan's Famous.