Joey Chestnut has announced his return to the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, and how he did it. Mr. Chestnut managed to reclaim the title for the 17th time. He consumed 70 and a half hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to seal the victory. It was Mr. Chestnut's 17th victory in 20 appearances at the globally broadcast event. For those who don't know, Mr. Chestnut was disqualified from the competition in 2024 after he signed a contract with the plant-based food firm Impossible Foods, according to CNN.
With an average of more than 9 hot dogs per minute, Mr. Chestnut ate 11 hot dogs in the first minute of the tournament and 46 by the midway point. He outpaced the next top eater by 18 dogs. With one minute left, Mr. Chestnut had completed 64 hot dogs and was comfortably ahead by 22. "Oh my gosh, I was nervous... My goal was 70 to 77 - I really wanted a little bit more. There's next year, and I'm just happy I am here," the 41-year-old told ESPN following the victory. Take a look:
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Mr. Chestnut set a world record in 2021 when he finished 76 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes. In 2024, he attended a Netflix Labor Day event in Las Vegas and consumed 83 all-beef hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes. The San Jose, California, native defeated 14 competitors from the US and other countries, including Brazil, the Czech Republic, and representatives from Ontario, England, and Australia. However, the statement about Patrick Bertoletti seems inconsistent - it's mentioned that he's the winner from 2024, but then it's stated he finished in second place.
Miki Sudo once again displayed why she is the best at eating hot dogs. With 33 franks and buns eaten in 10 minutes, the women's world record holder took home her 11th title. In a close contest between second and third, Michelle Lesco (22 3/4) defeated Domenica Dee (21 1/2) to take second place.
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During a military demonstration at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, last year, Mr. Chestnut consumed 57 dogs in just 5 minutes. He described that incident as "amazing" and expressed his happiness that he was still able to enjoy lots of hot dogs on July 4.