Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition. It is held each year on July 4 at Nathan's Famous' original, and best-known, restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.

The contest has gained public attention since the mid-2000s due to the stardom of Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut. The defending men's champion is Patrick Bertoletti, who ate 58 hot dogs in the 2024 contest. The defending women's champion is Miki Sudo, who ate 51 hot dogs in 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Rules

File:NathansHotDog-5 (48034119781).jpg

Nathan's original Coney Island location

Major League Eating (MLE), sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), has sanctioned the event since 1997. Today, only entrants currently under contract by MLE can compete in the contest.

The field of about 20 contestants typically includes the following:

• any past champion;
• winners of a regional qualifying contest for that season;
• individuals qualifying as one of two wildcards (highest two average qualifier scores without winning a single qualifier); and
• those invited by special invitation of the MLE.

The competitors stand on a raised platform behind a long table with drinks and Nathan's Famous hot dogs in buns. Most contestants have water on hand, but other kinds of drinks can and have been used. Condiments are allowed, but usually are not used. The hot dogs are allowed to cool slightly after grilling to prevent possible mouth burns. The contestant who consumes (and keeps down) the most hot dogs and buns (HDB) in ten minutes is declared the winner. The length of the contest has changed over the years, previously 12 minutes, and in some years, only three and a half minutes; since 2008, 10 minutes.

Spectators watch and cheer on the eaters from close proximity. A designated scorekeeper is paired with each contestant, flipping a number board counting each hot dog consumed. Partially eaten hot dogs count and the granularity of measurement is eighths of a length. Hot dogs still in the mouth at the end of regulation count if they are subsequently swallowed. Yellow penalty cards can be issued for "messy eating",<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast">Template:Cite episode</ref> and red penalty cards can be issued for "reversal of fortune" (vomiting), which results in disqualification.<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast"/> If there is a tie, the contestants go to a 5-hot-dog eat-off to see who can eat that many the quickest. Further ties will result in a sudden-death eat-off of eating one more hot dog in the fastest time.

After the winner is declared, a plate showing the number of hot dogs eaten by the winner is brought out for photo opportunities.

Awards

{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} }} The winner of the men's competition is of the coveted international "bejeweled" mustard-yellow belt. The belt is of "unknown age and value" according to IFOCE co-founder George Shea and rests in the country of its owner. In 2011, Sonya Thomas won the inaugural women's competition and its "bejeweled" pink belt.

Various other prizes have been awarded over the years. For example, in 2004 Orbitz donated a travel package to the winner. Starting in 2007, cash prizes have been awarded to the top finishers.

History

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held at the original location on Coney Island most years since about 1972, usually in conjunction with Independence Day.<ref name="history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As Coney Island is often linked with recreational activities of the summer season, several early contests were held on other holidays associated with summer besides Independence Day; for example, multiple contests in the 1970s were scheduled on Memorial Day<ref name="New York Times">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="New York Times no. 2" /><ref name="Ellensburg (Wash.) Daily Record (p. 11)" /> or Labor Day.<ref name="St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press (sec. A, p. 2)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the competition was dominated by Japanese contestants, particularly Kobayashi, who won six consecutive contests from 2001 to 2006. In 2001, Kobayashi transformed the competition and the world of competitive eating by downing 50 hot dogs—smashing the previous record of 25.5. The Japanese eater introduced advanced eating and training techniques that shattered previous competitive eating world records. The rise in popularity of the event coincided with the surge in popularity of the worldwide competitive eating circuit.

In recent years, a considerable amount of pomp and circumstance have surrounded the days leading up to the event, which has become an annual spectacle of competitive entertainment. The event is presented on an extravagant stage complete with colorful live announcers and an overall party atmosphere. The day before the contest is a public weigh-in with the mayor of New York City. Some competitors don flamboyant costumes and/or makeup, while others may promote themselves with eating-related nicknames. On the morning of the event, they have a heralded arrival to Coney Island on the "bus of champions" and are called to the stage individually during introductions. In 2013, six-time defending champion Joey Chestnut was escorted to the stage in a sedan chair.

The competition draws many spectators and worldwide press coverage. In 2004 a three-story-high "Hot Dog Eating Wall of Fame" was erected at the site of the annual contest. The wall lists past winners, and has a digital clock which counts down the minutes until the next contest. In 2007, an estimated 50,000 came out to witness the event. Despite substantial damage suffered at Nathan's due to Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, the location was repaired, reopened, and the 2013 event was held as scheduled.<ref>Nathan's Famous Reopens On Coney Island In Time For Memorial Day Weekend - CBS News New York</ref>

ESPN has long enjoyed solid ratings from its broadcast of the Hot Dog Eating Contest on Independence Day, and on July 1, 2014, the network announced it had extended its agreement with Major League Eating and would broadcast the contest through 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The most recent broadcast rights deal, announced in November 2022, will keep the contest airing on ESPN through 2029.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2003 former National Football League player William "The Refrigerator" Perry competed as a celebrity contestant. Though he had won a qualifier by eating twelve hot dogs, he ate only four at the contest, stopping after just five minutes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The celebrity contestant experiment has not been held since.

At the 2007 contest, the results were delayed to review whether defending champion Kobayashi had vomited (also known as a "Roman method incident" or "reversal of fortune") in the final seconds of regulation. Such an incident results in the disqualification of the competitor under the rules of the IFOCE. The judges ruled in Kobayashi's favor. A similar incident occurred involving Kobayashi in 2002<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in a victory over Eric "Badlands" Booker.

On July 4, 2011, Sonya Thomas became the champion of the first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest for Women.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Previously, women and men had competed against each other, except for one Memorial Day competition held in 1975.<ref name="New York Times no. 2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Eating 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes, Thomas earned the inaugural Pepto-Bismol-sponsored pink belt and won $10,000.<ref name="First Nathan Champ for Women">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest was held without spectators at an indoor location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and only five eaters competed in each category instead of the usual 15.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2021, the event was held at Maimonides Park, with a reduced crowd of 7,000.

Competitor bans

Kobayashi has not competed in the contest since 2009 due to his refusal to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating, which is the current sanctioning body of the contest. In 2010, he was arrested by police after attempting to jump on the stage after the contest was over and disrupt the proceedings. Some witnesses reported that Kobayashi was attempting to congratulate the winner, Chestnut.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On August 5, 2010, all charges against Kobayashi were dismissed by a judge in Brooklyn. Despite his six consecutive victories in their annual event, Nathan's removed Kobayashi's image from their "Wall of Fame" in 2011. Kobayashi again refused to compete in 2011, but instead conducted his own hot dog eating exhibition, consuming 69 HDB, seven more than Chestnut accomplished in the Nathan's contest.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The sports website Deadspin deemed Kobayashi's solo appearance "an improbably perfect 'up yours' to the Nathan's hot dog eating contest."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Chestnut was banned from the 2024 contest due to signing a deal with Impossible Food, which sells plant based products including hot dogs. A Major League Eating executive claimed that Nathan's asked for an exemption to the deal be made regarding Impossible Food's hot dogs which was denied with Major League Eating banning Chestnut as a result.<ref>Joey Chestnut barred from Nathan’s hot dog contest over Impossible Foods deal Washington Post</ref><ref>Hot dog-eating champ Joey Chestnut won't compete this July 4. What’s the beef? NPR</ref> On June 25, Chestnut instead agreed to attend Fort Bliss' Pop Goes the Fort celebration and compete in a 4 versus 1 eating competition with a five minute time limit,<ref>Banned from Nathan’s, hot dog-eating champion Joey Chestnut will compete in Texas The Dallas Morning News</ref><ref>Joey Chestnut to Face Soldiers in Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 amid Nathan's Ban Bleacher Report</ref> with Chestnut prevailing 57 to 49 while raising $106,000 for Operation Homefront.<ref>Joey Chestnut, banned from Coney Island, takes his hot dog-eating skills to Fort Bliss NPR</ref>

Fake history of the contest

In 2010, Nathan's promoter Mortimer "Morty" Matz admitted to having fabricated the legend of the 1916 start date with a man named Max Rosey in the early 1970s as part of a publicity stunt.<ref name="NYT 08-18-2010">Template:Cite news</ref>

According to that legend, on July 4, 1916, four immigrants held a hot dog eating contest at Nathan's Famous stand on Coney Island to settle an argument about who was the most patriotic. Some accounts alleged that a man named Jim Mullen won the first contest.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Others described Jimmy Durante, who was not an immigrant, as competing in that all-immigrant inaugural contest, which was judged by Eddie Cantor and Sophie Tucker.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another co-founder describes the event as beginning "in 1917, and pitted Mae West's father, Jack, against entertainer Eddie Cantor."<ref name="Crown/Archetype (p. 222)">Template:Cite book</ref> Nathan made the spurious claim that the contest has been held each year since then except 1941, "as a protest to the war in Europe",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 1971, as a protest to political unrest in the U.S.

The legend grew over the years, to the point where The New York Times and other publications were known to have repeatedly listed 1916 as the inaugural year, although no evidence of the contest exists.<ref name="NYT 08-18-2010" />

Results

By year (color-coded by belt color)

Year	Winner (and date, if prior to permanently moving all contests to Independence Day in 1997)	Hot dogs and buns (HDB)	Contest duration	Note(s)
2024	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Patrick Bertoletti	58	10 min	Joey Chestnut is absent from the men’s event for the first time since 2004, due to a purported sponsorship issue between Chestnut and Major League Eating. Chestnut eats 57 HDB in 5 minutes in a non-sponsored event. Miki Sudo sets a new women’s record, with 51 HDB eaten.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	51
2023<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	62	10 min
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	Template:Frac
2022	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	63{{#if:a|a|[1]}}	10 min	Miki Sudo returns from her pregnancy to reclaim her title. After being shoved from the table, Joey Chestnut puts a protester who ran onto the stage during the event in a chokehold. Geoffrey Esper (47 HDB) finished second. James Webb (41 HDB) finished third.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	40
2021	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	76	10 min	The event is held at Maimonides Park due to capacity restrictions and other health and safety requirements. Joey Chestnut breaks the world record with 76 HDB. Defending champion Miki Sudo was out due to her pregnancy.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Michelle Lesco	Template:Frac
2020	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	75	10 min	First time event is being held indoors without fans caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Joey Chestnut breaks the world record with 75 HDB. Darron Breeden (42 HDB) finished second. Nick Wehry (39.5 HDB) finished third. Miki Sudo breaks the women's world record with 48.5 HDB.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	Template:Frac
2019	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	71	10 min	Joey Chestnut won his 12th title. Darron Breeden (50 HDB) finished second. Geoffrey Esper (47 HDB) finished third. Sudo (31 HDB) edged out Lesco (26 HDB) to win her sixth Nathan's belt.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	31
2018	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	74	10 min	After a judging error had left the results in question, the final results showed that Joey Chestnut broke the world record with 74 HDB. Carmen Cincotti (64 HDB) finished second. Darron Breeden (43 HDB) finished third. Sudo won her fifth women's belt. Michelle Lesco (28 HDB) finished second. Sonya Thomas and Juliet Lee (25 HDB) tied for third. This is the last competition that Thomas competed in.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	37
2017	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	72	10 min	Joey Chestnut breaks the contest record with 72 HDB. Carmen Cincotti (60 HDB) finished second. Matt Stonie (48 HDB) finished third. Sudo won her fourth women's title, beating Michelle Lesco (32 HDB) and Thomas (30 HDB).
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	41
2016	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	70	10 min	Joey Chestnut won the mustard-colored belt for the ninth time, eating 70 hot dogs and buns. Defending champion Matt Stonie consumed 53 HDB. Sudo (Template:Frac) won her third consecutive women's title, edging out Thomas (35 HDB). At the Giant National Capital BBQ Battle in Washington, D.C., on June 25, Chestnut set the record of 73.5 in an official qualifier.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	Template:Frac
2015	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Matt Stonie	62	10 min	Matt Stonie ended the 8 year winning streak of Joey Chestnut, eating 62 HDB to Joey's 60. Tim Janus (35 HDB) finished third. Sudo won her second women's belt, beating Thomas (31 HDB).
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	38
2014	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	61	10 min	Joey Chestnut faced fierce competition from Matt Stonie, who finished second with 56 HDB. Tim Janus (44 HDB) finished in 3rd. This became Joey's 8th consecutive win. Miki Sudo (34 HDB) dethroned Thomas (Template:Frac HDB), the first time in the history of the competition that Thomas had been defeated since the inception of the women's division. Sudo also ended a long tradition by becoming the first champion in a quarter-century to decline to use a nickname during Nathan's competitions.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	34
2013	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	69	10 min	Joey Chestnut beat his own record with 69 HDB. Matt Stonie (51HDB) finished second. Tim Janus (50 HDB) finished in 3rd. After facing fierce competition from Juliet Lee (36 HDB), Thomas (Template:Frac HDB) won her third title.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Sonya Thomas	Template:Frac
2012	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	68	10 min	Chestnut tied his previous record, previously set in 2009. He also became the second person to win six consecutive titles. Tim Janus (52.25) and Patrick Bertoletti (51) finish second and third. Matt Stonie, who would go on to claim victory in 2015 finished fourth with 46 HDB. Bob Shoudt was 5th (45 HDB) broke Thomas' record for oldest person to eat their age in HDB (45 yr) Thomas (45 HDB) broke the female record and set a new record for the oldest person to eat their age in HDB (44 yr), beating Juliet Lee (33 HDB).
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Sonya Thomas	45
2011	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	62	10 min	Separate competitions are held for women and men for the first time since the 1975 one-off event. Chestnut dominates on his way to his fifth straight title. Sonya Thomas (40 HDB) won the inaugural women's event. Patrick Bertoletti (53) and Tim "Eater X" Janus (45) finish 2nd and 3rd for the second year in a row.
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Sonya Thomas	40
2010	Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	54	10 min	Chestnut (54), Tim "Eater X" Janus (45), and Patrick Bertoletti (37) round out the top three.
2009	Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	68	10 min	Chestnut (68 HDB) beat his previous record in 10 minutes, setting new event, U.S., and world records. Kobayashi (Template:Frac HDB) set a Japanese record. Patrick Bertoletti (55 HDB) finished third. Sonya Thomas (41 HDB) broke the female record.
2008	Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	59 Eat-off: 5	10 min Eat-off: untimed, but completed in 50 sec.	Event, Japanese, U.S., and world records set (59 HDB). First event using the new ten-minute time limit, and first tie and eat-off since 1980. Chestnut & Kobayashi tied for first with 59 in regulation. In overtime Chestnut is the first to finish a plate of 5 HDB in 50 seconds. Kobayashi, losing by 7 seconds, finishes second. Tim Janus finished third with 42.
2007	Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	66	12 min	Having broken the world and U.S. records with Template:Frac HDB at a qualifier contest on June 2, 2007, Chestnut (66 HDB) finishes first, setting new event, U.S. and world records. Defeating Kobayashi (63 HDB) for the first time. Fifth place Sonya Thomas (39 HDB) sets female record.
2006	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	Template:Frac	12 min	Winner Kobayashi sets event, Japanese and world records. Second place Joey Chestnut (52 HDB), sets U.S. record. Sonya Thomas (37) finishes third.
2005	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	49	12 min	2nd: Sonya Thomas (37) sets U.S. record, Women's record. Future winner Joey Chestnut finishes third with 32.
2004	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	Template:Frac	12 min	Event, United States and world records set. 2nd: Nobuyuki Shirota (38), Sonya Thomas (32 HDB) sets the female and U.S. records.
2003	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	Template:Frac	12 min	Sonya Thomas (25 HDB) sets the female record. 2nd: Ed Jarvis (Template:Frac, American record), 3rd: Eric Booker (29). Twenty competitors and 3,000 spectators in attendance. William "The Refrigerator" Perry competes, but eats only four HDB and drops out after five minutes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2002	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	Template:Frac	12 min	Event, Japanese and world records set.
2001	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	50	12 min	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> 2nd: Kazutoyo Arai (31), 3rd: Eric "Badlands" Booker (22).
2000	Template:Flagicon Kazutoyo Arai	Template:Frac	12 min	The contest was won by a 100-pound 32-year-old mattress salesman from Saitama, Japan. The prizes were "the coveted mustard-yellow International Belt, a huge red trophy, and 20 pounds of Nathan's hot dogs." Misao Fujita (also known as "Wild Beast"<ref name="tv-tokyo.co.jp">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>) of Japan was the runner-up and consumed 24 hot dogs. A woman, Takako Akasaka of Japan, was the third-place finisher and consumed 22 hot dogs. 41 year old locomotive machinist Steve Addicks of Finksburg, Maryland, was the fourth-place finisher and consumed 21 hot dogs. 391-pound, 35 year old reigning champion Steve Keiner of Atlantic City, New Jersey "finished in the middle of the pack" and consumed 15 hot dogs. "Dozens" of contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as an annual contest held regularly since 1916.<ref name="abcnews.go.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another describes this as the 85th annual contest.<ref name="tv-tokyo.co.jp"/>
1999	Template:Flagicon Steve Keiner	Template:Frac	12 min	The contest was won by a 317-pound, 50-year-old man from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. The prize was the bejeweled mustard-colored belt<ref name="New York Times no. 3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 60 pounds of hot dogs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Footage recorded by NY1 appeared to show that he actually consumed half of a hot dog before the starting gun was fired and should have been disqualified by the judges. Charles Hardy and Bartoszek Tadeusz, both of Brooklyn, were the runners-up and consumed 20 hot dogs each. Hardy charged that he could have consumed more had he been given another plate of hot dogs before time expired.<ref name="New York Daily News">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> 134-pound, reigning champion Hirofumi Nakajima of Japan consumed 19 hot dogs.<ref name="New York Times no. 3"/> Former champion Mike DeVito also participated.<ref name="New York Daily News"/>
1998	Template:Flagicon Hirofumi Nakajima	19	12 min	The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 135-pound, 23 year old furniture delivery worker from Kōfu, Japan. The prizes were "the coveted mustard-yellow International Belt, a huge red trophy, and 20 pounds of Nathan's hot dogs."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A 387-pound, 29 year old corrections officer from Brooklyn, Charles "Hungry" Hardy, was the runner-up and consumed Template:Frac hot dogs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> 381-pound, 35 year old mechanical engineer and former champion Ed Krachie came out of retirement in a vain attempt to break Japan's win streak but was the third-place finisher and consumed 14 hot dogs. A 53 year old haggis-eating champion from the United Kingdom, Barry Noble, also participated. In all, 16 contestants participated.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1997	Template:Flagicon Hirofumi Nakajima	Template:Frac	12 min	Although Nathan's attempted to expand its pool of American contestants by sponsoring "a circuit of qualifying contests leading up to the grand finale on the Fourth",<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 15)">Template:Cite book</ref> Japanese contestants continued to increase their influence. The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 135-pound, 22 year old furniture delivery worker from Kōfu, Japan. The prizes were "a large emerald and brass trophy, a Mustard-Yellow International Belt, and a 20-pack take-out order for Nathan's hot dogs." 100-pound, 30 year old future champion Kazutoyo Arai of Saitama, Japan was the runner-up and consumed 24 hot dogs. 330-pound, 34 year old former champion Ed Krachie was the third-place finisher and consumed 20 hot dogs. 23 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as an annual contest held regularly since 1916.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1996	ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN Template:Flagicon Hirofumi Nakajima December 4	Template:Frac	12 min	The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 300-pound man from Queens.<ref name="cnn.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The prizes apparently included the bejeweled mustard-yellow belt and a trophy, if not more.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Former champion Mike DeVito was the runner-up and consumed 20 hot dogs.<ref name="cnn.com"/> 200-pound, 42 year old Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa was also a contestant.<ref name="United Press International">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> 20 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as an annual contest held regularly since 1916, except for 1939, 1940, and 1941<ref name="cnn.com"/>—this time held under the moniker "Battle of the Burroughs".<ref name="United Press International"/> A later 1996 contest was also sponsored by Nathan's (and TV Tokyo<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>), but was held at Central Park instead of at its traditional location. It was won by a 144-pound, 22-year-old man from Japan; he had never eaten a hot dog until the day before the competition. The prizes were the bejeweled mustard-yellow belt and $2,000. 320-pound, 33 year old mechanical engineer Ed Krachie of New York was the runner-up. Only those 2 contestants participated.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Flagicon Ed Krachie Independence Day	22	12 min
1995	Template:Flagicon Ed Krachie Independence Day	Template:Frac	12 min	The contest was won by a 350-pound NYNEX engineer from Queens. 205-pound, 33 year old Salomon Brothers vice president and reigning champion Mike DeVito of Manalapan Township, New Jersey, was the runner-up and consumed 19 hot dogs.<ref name="New York Times no. 4">Template:Cite news</ref>
1994	Template:Flagicon Mike DeVito Independence Day	20	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 32 year old accountant.<ref name="New York Times no. 5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Future champion Ed Krachie was the runner-up.<ref name="New York Times no. 4"/> 40 year old Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa was the third-place finisher<ref name="United Press International"/> and consumed 13 hot dogs.<ref name="New York Times no. 5"/>
1993	ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN Template:Flagicon Mike DeVito October 27<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	18	30 min	The contest was won by a former champion, a Wall Street brokerage firm worker from Manalapan Township, New Jersey. The prize was 365 hot dogs. Joe Gotay of Brooklyn was the runner-up and consumed Template:Frac hot dogs. Willie Dykstra of Brooklyn was the top female contestant and consumed Template:Frac hot dogs. 18 men and 2 women participated. The reigning champion, 290-pound Frankie Dellarosa of Brooklyn, "canceled out at the last minute due to a family emergency"<ref name="United Press International no. 2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> and was unable to defend his title. Instead, he declared that he was now retired from competitions and planned to pursue an acting career,<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 62)">Template:Cite book</ref> something that he would later have a modest success in.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> A press account from the time describes this as the 77th annual contest, held regularly since 1916.<ref name="United Press International no. 2"/> A later 1993 contest was also sponsored by Nathan's (and recorded by TV Tokyo), but was held under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan instead of at its traditional location. It was won by reigning champion DeVito.<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 17)">Template:Cite book</ref> Years later it was stated that the prize was the bejeweled mustard-colored belt "created by the descendants of Fabergé" that remains in use today but had supposedly been held in Japan for some years after having been won by a Japanese contestant at Nathan's<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 15)"/> (presumably at the February 11, 1986, competition). The earliest that the belt's existence is known to be covered by the press is 1996.<ref name="United Press International"/> A woman, Orio Ito of Japan, was the runner-up and consumed 16 hot dogs. Only those 2 contestants participated.<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 17)"/>
	Template:Flagicon Mike DeVito Independence Day	17	12 min
1992	Template:Flagicon Frankie Dellarosa Independence Day	19	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	The contest was won by the reigning champion. The prize was 365 hot dogs.<ref name="New York Daily News (p. 3)"/> Former and future champion Mike DeVito was the runner-up and consumed 17 hot dogs.<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 62)"/> 18 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 76th annual contest.<ref name="New York Daily News (p. 3)"/>
1991	Template:Flagicon Frankie Dellarosa Independence Day	21	12 min	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> and part-time Hofstra University football coach<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 62)"/> from Queens. The prize was "a 3-foot trophy, topped with an athlete, plate, and hot dog. He also received hats, cups, and a year's supply of hot dogs." 20 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 75th annual contest, this time held under the motto "No Guts, No Glory".<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 1 )"/>
1990	Template:Flagicon Mike DeVito Template:Flagicon Jay Green Independence Day	15	12 min	The contest was tied by the reigning champion, from Brooklyn, (Green) who was allowed to compete again despite previous contest rules, and a 28 year old from Staten Island (DeVito).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> There was apparently no tie-breaking eat-off. A press account from the time describes this as the 7th annual contest.<ref name="Norwalk (Conn.) Hour (p. 3)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1989	Template:Flagicon Jay Green Independence Day	Template:Frac	12 min	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1988	Template:Flagicon Jay Green Independence Day	10	12 min	The contest was won by a 30 year old limousine service manager from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. 13 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 72nd annual contest.<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 14)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1987	Template:Flagicon Don Wolfman Independence Day	Template:Frac	10 min	29 year old future champion Jay Green was the runner-up and consumed Template:Frac hot dogs.<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 14)"/> A press account from the time describes this as the 71st annual contest.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1986	Template:Flagicon Mark Heller Independence Day	Template:Frac	10 min	The contest was won by a 245-pound man; the prizes were a plaque and a year supply of hot dogs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Robert Gerber was the runner-up and consumed 13 hot dogs. 24 men participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 70th annual contest, held regularly since 1916.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> An earlier 1986 contest was also sponsored by Nathan's. It was won by a 264-pound, 21-year-old student from Tokyo, Japan. Reigning champion Oscar Rodriguez was the runner-up and consumed Template:Frac hot dogs. Only those 2 contestants participated.<ref name="Salt Lake City Deseret News (sec. A, p. 3)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN Template:Flagicon Hiroaki Tominaga February 11	Template:Frac	10 min
1985	Template:Flagicon Oscar Rodriguez Independence Day	Template:Frac	12 min	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1984	Template:Flagicon Birgit Felden Independence Day	Template:Frac	10 min	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> 17 year old West German women's judo team member<ref name="Crown/Archetype (p. 222)"/> from Cologne; she had never eaten a hot dog before the competition. Publicist Morty Matz described her as being only the second female to have ever won the contest. 17 year old U.S. women's judo team member Jean Kanokogi (and daughter of Ryohei and Rusty Kanokogi) of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn was the runner-up and consumed 8 hot dogs. 20 men and 4 women participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 68th annual contest.<ref name="Daytona Beach (Fla.) Morning Journal (sec. D, p. 3)"/>
1983	Template:Flagicon Emil Gomez Independence Day	Template:Frac	10 min	The contest was won by a 210-pound, 25 year old accountant from the Bronx.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> His brother, Andre Gomez, was the runner-up and consumed 10 hot dogs. 11 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 17th annual contest.<ref name="Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal (p. 8)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1982	Template:Flagicon Steven Abrams Independence Day (observed July 5)	11+	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	The contest was held on Monday, July 5, the observed date of Independence Day, as the holiday fell on a Sunday. It was won by a 26 year old from Flushing, Queens.<ref name="New York Daily News no. 2"/> He ate one bite of a twelfth hot dog.<ref name="New York Times no. 6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sid Smith of Brooklyn was the runner-up and consumed 10 hot dogs, and Risto Puulos of Helsinki was the third-place finisher and consumed 8.<ref name="New York Daily News no. 2"/>
1981	Template:Flagicon Thomas DeBerry Independence Day	11	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1980	Template:Flagicon Joe Baldini Template:Flagicon Paul Siederman Independence Day	Template:Frac+ Eat-off: Template:Frac	10 min Eat-off: 3 min	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1979	Template:Flagicon Luther Frazier Template:Flagicon Jim Mattner Independence Day	10 Eat-off: Template:Frac<ref name="New York Newsday (sec. Q, p. 7)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	10 min Eat-off: Template:Frac min<ref name="New York Newsday (sec. Q, p. 7)"/>	The contest was tied by a 172-pound 17-year-old boy from Brooklyn (Frazier) and a 205-pound, 35 year old bond dealer from Ozone Park, Queens (Mattner). Each then tied again after a tie-breaking eat-off.<ref name="New York Newsday (sec. Q, p. 7)"/> They consumed what was considered a "record" number of hot dogs, when including the eat-off total.<ref name="New York Times no. 6"/> A press account from the time describes this as the 63rd annual contest.<ref name="New York Newsday (sec. Q, p. 7)"/>
1978	Template:Flagicon Manel Hollenback Template:Flagicon Kevin Sinclair Memorial Day	10	Template:Frac min	The contest was held on Memorial Day and was tied by a 180-pound, 18 year old basketball player from Newark, New Jersey (Hollenback) and a 75-pound, 10-year-old student (Sinclair). There was apparently no tie-breaking eat-off. 28 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as an annual contest held regularly since 1917, except for 1942 and 1944.<ref name="Ellensburg (Wash.) Daily Record (p. 11)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1976–1977	(no documented contests)
1975	MEN'S Template:Flagicon Lonnie Brown Memorial Day	8	Template:Frac min, with a 1 min break	An all-female contest was originally scheduled to be held on Memorial Day with the winner to be declared "Miss Coney Island;"<ref name="New York Times no. 2"/> the contest was won by a 30 year old market researcher from Manhattan.<ref name="Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (sec. C, p. 1)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> A contemporary press account indicates that when the contest was held it was ultimately decided to allow men to participate and that the top-finishing male was awarded a plaque;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> he was a 28 year old National Guardsman from Far Rockaway, Queens. 15 contestants participated.<ref name="Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (sec. C, p. 1)"/>
	WOMEN'S Template:Flagicon Sharlene Smith Memorial Day	Template:Frac
1974	Template:Flagicon Walter Paul Template:Flagicon Paul Sirop Labor Day	(unknown)	(unknown)	The first 1974 contest was held on April 7 (opening day for Coney Island's summer season activities)<ref name="Crown/Archetype (p. 221)">Template:Cite book</ref> and was won by a 22 year old Manhattan Community College student from Astoria, Queens; the prize was a trophy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Six contestants participated.<ref name="Crown/Archetype (p. 221)"/> The second 1974 contest was held on Independence Day and was won by a 185-pound, 24 year old from Brooklyn; the prize was "a trophy with an emblazoned hot dog on it".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The third 1974 contest was held on Labor Day and was tied by Walter Paul—the event's first two-time winner—and Paul Sirop.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> There was apparently no tie-breaking eat-off.
	Template:Flagicon Roberto Muriel Independence Day	10	Template:Frac min
	Template:Flagicon John Connolly Opening day of Coney Island's summer season (April 7)	9	Template:Frac min
1973	(unknown) Independence Day	(unknown)	(unknown)	The first 1973 contest was scheduled to be held on April 7 (opening day for Coney Island's summer season activities) but was canceled due to the 1973 meat boycott. A press account from the time describes this to have been the 23rd annual contest.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> A contest was scheduled to be held on Independence Day (designated as the 106th anniversary of the invention of the hot dog) and refereed by the "1973 Hot Dog Queen",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> but no results are known to have been compiled and released to the public.
	(canceled) Opening day of Coney Island's summer season (April 7)	—	—
1972	Template:Flagicon Melody Andorfer Labor Day	12	5 min	The first 1972 contest was held on Memorial Day and was won by a Brooklyn College student; the prize "was a book of certificates for forty more hot dogs".<ref name="New York Times"/> The second 1972 contest was held on Labor Day and was won by a 105-pound, 18-year-old female community activist from Astoria, Queens;<ref name="St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press (sec. A, p. 2)"/> the prize was a paper crown (on July 2, 2021, she received a belt similar to those awarded to recent winners, for her past achievement).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> 260-pound, 19 year old Gary Silverman of Brooklyn was the runner-up and consumed 10 hot dogs. 8 men and 8 women participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 23rd annual contest.<ref name="St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press (sec. A, p. 2)"/> In 2020, the Coney Island History Project interviewed Andorfer.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Flagicon Jason Schechter Memorial Day	14	Template:Frac min
1968–1971	(no documented contests)
1967	Template:Flagicon Walter Paul Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog (June 30)	17{{#if:b|b|[2]}}	60 min	citation	CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is not immediately clear if he ate buns with the hot dogs.

^a{{#if:| }} final total may have been affected by interruption from protestor<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
^b{{#if:| }} though Walter Paul's 1967 feat is documented in multiple UPI press accounts from the time, he has also been mentioned in passing in more recent press accounts for supposedly establishing the contest's then-record 17 hot dogs consumed; several other people have similarly been credited for records of Template:Frac, Template:Frac, or Template:Frac hot dogs consumed; the following feats are not known to be documented more fully in press accounts from the time of their occurrence and, as such, may not be credible and are not included in the Results table above:

"Several years" before 1986: unspecified contestant, Template:Frac<ref name="Salt Lake City Deseret News (sec. A, p. 3)"/>
1979: unspecified contestant, Template:Frac<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 14)"/>
1978: Walter Paul (described as being from Coney Island, Brooklyn), 17<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1974: unspecified contestant, 16<ref name="New York Daily News no. 3"/>
1968: Walter Paul (described as "a rotund Coney Island carnival caretaker"), 17<ref name="Schenectady (N.Y.) Gazette (p. 12)"/>
1959: Peter Washburn (described as "a one-armed Brooklyn Carnival worker"), Template:Frac<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> or 17<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 62)"/>
1959: Paul Washburn (described as a carnival worker from Brooklyn), Template:Frac<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 1 )"/>
1959: Walter Paul (described as a 260-pound man from Brooklyn), 17<ref name="Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal (p. 8)"/>
1957: Paul Washburn, Template:Frac<ref name="Norwalk (Conn.) Hour (p. 3)"/>

By champion

No. of Titles	Name	Year(s)
16	Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	2007–2014, 2016–2023
10	Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	2014–2020, 2022–2024
6	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	2001–2006
4	Template:Flagicon Mike DeVito	a|[3]}} 1993 (Independence Day & October 27)–1994
3	Template:Flagicon Jay Green	a|[4]}}
3	Template:Flagicon Hirofumi Nakajima	1996 (December 4)–1998
3	Template:Flagicon Sonya Thomas	2011–2013
2	Template:Flagicon Frankie Dellarosa	1991–1992
2	Template:Flagicon Ed Krachie	1995–1996
2	Template:Flagicon Walter Paul	1967 (Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog), 1974 (Labor Day){{#if:a|a|[5]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Steven Abrams	1982
1	Template:Flagicon Melody Andorfer	1972 (Labor Day)
1	Template:Flagicon Kazutoyo Arai	2000
1	Template:Flagicon Joe Baldini	a|[6]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Patrick Bertoletti	2024
1	Template:Flagicon Lonnie Brown	1975 (Memorial Day)
1	Template:Flagicon John Connolly	1974 (Opening day of Coney Island's summer season)
1	Template:Flagicon Thomas DeBerry	1981
1	Template:Flagicon Birgit Felden	1984
1	Template:Flagicon Luther Frazier	a|[7]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Emil Gomez	1983
1	Template:Flagicon Mark Heller	1986
1	Template:Flagicon Manel Hollenback	a|[8]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Steve Keiner	1999
1	Template:Flagicon Michelle Lesco	2021
1	Template:Flagicon Jim Mattner	a|[9]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Roberto Muriel	1974
1	Template:Flagicon Oscar Rodriguez	1985
1	Template:Flagicon Jason Schechter	1972 (Memorial Day)
1	Template:Flagicon Paul Siederman	a|[10]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Kevin Sinclair	a|[11]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Paul Sirop	a|[12]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Sharlene Smith	1975 (Memorial Day)
1	Template:Flagicon Matt Stonie	2015
1	Template:Flagicon Hiroaki Tominaga	1986 (February 11)
1	(unknown)	1973
1	Template:Flagicon Don Wolfman	1987

^a{{#if:| }} the 1974 Labor Day and 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1990 Independence Day competitions ended in ties

By contest type

Joint male & female competitions (1967, 1972–1974, 1978–2010)

No. of Titles	Name	Year(s)
6	Template:Flagicon Takeru Kobayashi	2001–2006
4	Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	2007–2010
3	Template:Flagicon Mike DeVito	a|[13]}} 1993–1994
3	Template:Flagicon Jay Green	a|[14]}}
2	Template:Flagicon Frankie Dellarosa	1991–1992
2	Template:Flagicon Ed Krachie	1995–1996
2	Template:Flagicon Hirofumi Nakajima	1997–1998
2	Template:Flagicon Walter Paul	1967 (Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog), 1974 (Labor Day){{#if:a|a|[15]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Steven Abrams	1982
1	Template:Flagicon Melody Andorfer	1972 (Labor Day)
1	Template:Flagicon Kazutoyo Arai	2000
1	Template:Flagicon Joe Baldini	a|[16]}}
1	Template:Flagicon John Connolly	1974 (Opening day of Coney Island's summer season)
1	Template:Flagicon Thomas DeBerry	1981
1	Template:Flagicon Birgit Felden	1984
1	Template:Flagicon Luther Frazier	a|[17]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Emil Gomez	1983
1	Template:Flagicon Mark Heller	1986
1	Template:Flagicon Manel Hollenback	a|[18]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Steve Keiner	1999
1	Template:Flagicon Jim Mattner	a|[19]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Roberto Muriel	1974
1	Template:Flagicon Oscar Rodriguez	1985
1	Template:Flagicon Jason Schechter	1972 (Memorial Day)
1	Template:Flagicon Paul Siederman	a|[20]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Kevin Sinclair	a|[21]}}
1	Template:Flagicon Paul Sirop	a|[22]}}
1	(unknown)	1973
1	Template:Flagicon Don Wolfman	1987

^a{{#if:| }} the 1974 Labor Day and 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1990 Independence Day competitions ended in ties

Men's-only competitions (1975, 2011–Present)

No. of Titles	Name	Year(s)
11	Template:Flagicon Joey Chestnut	2011–2014, 2016–2023
1	Template:Flagicon Patrick Bertoletti	2024
1	Template:Flagicon Lonnie Brown	1975 (Memorial Day)
1	Template:Flagicon Matt Stonie	2015

a|[23]}}

No. of Titles	Name	Year(s)
8	Template:Flagicon Miki Sudo	2014–2020, 2022–2023
3	Template:Flagicon Sonya Thomas	2011–2013
1	Template:Flagicon Michelle Lesco	2021
1	Template:Flagicon Sharlene Smith	1975 (Memorial Day)

^a{{#if:| }} prior to restructuring the competition to offer women's-only contests, the media was known to use the term "women's category" to describe female participation;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the top-finishers of the "women's category" in this era included, for 2003: Sonya Thomas (25), 2004: Sonya Thomas (32), 2005: Sonya Thomas (37), 2006: Sonya Thomas (37), 2007: Sonya Thomas (39), 2008: Sonya Thomas (34), 2009: Sonya Thomas (41), and 2010: Sonya Thomas (36)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

No. of Titles	Name	Year
1	Template:Flagicon Mike DeVito	1993 (October 27)
1	Template:Flagicon Hirofumi Nakajima	1996 (December 4)
1	Template:Flagicon Hiroaki Tominaga	1986 (February 11)

Media coverage

Live TV

In 2003, ESPN aired the contest for the first time on a tape-delayed basis. Starting in 2004, ESPN began airing the contest live. From 2005 to 2017, Paul Page was ESPN's play-by-play announcer for the event, accompanied by color commentator Richard Shea. In 2011, the women's competition was carried live on ESPN3, followed by the men's competition on ESPN. In 2012, ESPN signed an extension to carry the event through 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, ESPN signed an agreement to carry the competition on its networks for 10 years until 2024.<ref name=2014contract>Mandell, Nina. "Nathan's Hot Dog Contest ensures its future as Fourth of July tradition with new ESPN deal" Template:Webarchive USA Today July 4, 2014.</ref>

In 2021, Miki Sudo did not compete, as she was 37 weeks pregnant with her first child with fellow professional eater, Nick Wehry. Sudo instead served as an announcer, alongside Mike Golic Jr., Richard Shea, and Jason Fitz.

Television history
Year	Network	Announcers	Viewers
2003	ESPN
2004	ESPN	Gary Miller, Richard Shea	926,000<ref name="NYT 07-06-2007" />
2005	ESPN	Paul Page, Richard Shea	860,000<ref name="NYT 07-06-2007">Template:Cite news</ref>
2006	ESPN	Paul Page, Richard Shea	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2007	ESPN2	Paul Page, Richard Shea	1.632 million
2008	ESPN	Paul Page, Richard Shea	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2009	ESPN	Paul Page, Richard Shea	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2010	ESPN	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Todd Harris	1.677 million<ref name="Potpourri Friday, July 9, 2010" />
2011	ESPN	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Renee Herlocker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2012	ESPN	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Renee Herlocker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2013	ESPN2	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Renee Herlocker	1.14 million<ref name="2013-14" />
2014	ESPNEWS	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Cari Champion	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> 2.8 million (tape delay on ESPN)<ref name="2019ratings" />
2015	ESPN2	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Melanie Collins	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2016	ESPN.com	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Melanie Collins	1.3 million (tape delay on ESPN)<ref name="2016-2017">Paulsen. Ratings Roundup: Wimbledon, Hot Dog Contest, Senior Golf Template:Webarchive. Sportsmediawatch. July 7, 2017.</ref>
2017	ESPN2	Paul Page, Richard Shea, Melanie Collins	1.11 million<ref name="2016-2017" />
2018	ESPN2	Adam Amin, Richard Shea, Melanie Collins	1.141 million<ref name="2018ratings">Porter, Rick. "Wednesday cable ratings: Hot dog eating contest leads a light 4th of July". TVbythenumbers. July 6, 2018.</ref>
2019	ESPN2	Adam Amin, Richard Shea, Melanie Collins	1.36 million<ref name="2019ratings">Paulsen. "Ratings: Home Run Derby, MLS, Hot Dog Contest" Template:Webarchive. Sportsmediawatch. July 9, 2019.</ref>
2020	ESPN	Mike Golic Jr., Richard Shea, Jason Fitz	966,000<ref name="2020ratings">Metcalf, Mitch. "SKEDBALL: Weekly Sports TV Ratings 6.29-7.5.2020". ShowBuzzDaily. July 8, 2020.</ref>
2021	ESPN	Mike Golic Jr., Richard Shea, Jason Fitz, Miki Sudo	1.35 million<ref name="2021ratings">Paulsen. "Ratings: NASCAR, F1, IndyCar and more" Template:Webarchive. Sports Media Watch. July 9, 2021.</ref>
2022	ESPNEWS	John Anderson, Richard Shea, Jason Fitz	1.033 million (tape delay on ESPN)<ref name="2022ratings">Metcalf, Mitch. "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Monday 7.4.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED" Template:Webarchive. July 6, 2022.</ref><ref name="2022ratings2">Paulsen. "Ratings: NHL Draft, WNBA, PGA Tour and more" Template:Webarchive. July 8, 2022.</ref>
2023	ESPN2	John Anderson, Richard Shea, Renée James	1.008 million (weather delay to 2 pm ET)<ref name="2023ratings">Lewis, Jon. "Weekly sports ratings: Gold Cup, NASCAR, top charts". SportsMediaWatch. Retrieved on July 11, 2023.</ref>
2024	ESPN2	Jeremy Schaap, Richard Shea, Tiffany Greene

Film and TV programs

The Nathan's contest has been featured in these documentaries and TV programs:

• "A Different Story" (July 4, 1996) – Jeannie Moos covers the contest on CNN
• "Red, White, and Yellow" (1998)
• "A Hot Dog Program: An All-American, Culinary Cruise Through Hot Dog History" (1999)
• "Gut Busters" (2002) Made for TV – Discovery Channel
• "Footlong" (2002) – not the 2003 short film of the same name
• "The Tsunami – Takeru Kobayashi" (2003) Japanese
• "Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating" (2004)
• "The Most Extreme", "Big Mouths" episode (2004) (Animal Planet)
• Cheap Seats, (2004)
• "True Life" (2006) MTV documentary series
• Hungry (2013) documentary film; contract dispute between Nathan's Famous and Kobayashi
• "30 for 30: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry" (2019); ESPN Documentary

Newspapers

News sources typically use puns in head-lines and copy referring to the contest, such as Template:"'Tsunami' is eating contest's top dog again", "couldn't cut the mustard" (A.P.), "Nathan's King ready, with relish" (Daily News) and "To be frank, Fridge faces a real hot-dog consumer" (ESPN).

Reporter Gersh Kuntzman of the New York Post has been covering the event since the early 1990s and has been a judge at the competition since 2000. Darren Rovell, of ESPN, has competed in a qualifier.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Tactics and training

Each contestant has his or her own eating method. Takeru Kobayashi pioneered the "Solomon Method" at his first competition in 2001. The Solomon method consists of breaking each hot dog in half, eating the two halves at once, and then eating the bun.

"Dunking" is the most prominent method used today. Because buns absorb water, many contestants dunk the buns in water and squeeze them to make them easier to swallow, and slide down the throat more efficiently.<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast"/>

Other methods used include the "Carlene Pop", where the competitor jumps up and down while eating, to force the food down to the stomach.<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast"/> "Buns & Roses" is a similar trick, but the eater sways from side to side instead.<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast"/> "Juliet-ing" is a cheating method in which players simply throw the hot dog buns over their shoulders.<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast"/>

Contestants train and prepare for the event in different ways. Some fast; others prefer liquid-only diets before the event. Takeru Kobayashi meditates, drinks water and eats cabbage, then fasts before the event. Several contestants, such as Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, aim to be "hungry, but not too hungry" and have a light breakfast the morning of the event.

See also

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

External links

• Template:Official website
• Two Dozen Hot Dogs Please, and No, They're Not to Go by Anthony Ramirez
• Sports Illustrated feature on the 2006 contest
• Interview of Melody Andorfer "Hot Dog Queen" and Winner of the 1972 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest