Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest: Chestnut Absent, Sudo Sets Record

Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest has one obvious omission in the men's competition this year. That's because dynastic hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut isn't competing, after he struck a deal with plant-based food company Impossible Foods. The famous competition got underway in historic fashion with the women's contest on Thursday, with reigning champion Miki Sudo breaking a women's record by eating 51 hot dogs and buns. She beat second place Mayoi Ebihara by 14 hot dogs and buns to secure her 10th title at the contest.

'We finally beat 50, guys,' Sudo told ESPN after her historic performance. 'I'll see you next year.' Chestnut, meanwhile, has won the 'Mustard Yellow Belt' 16 times, and ate a world record 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021. If Chestnut was absent from Nathan's contest, he wasn't going to allow Independence Day to pass by without taking on a food challenge. The 40-year-old will be competing in his own showcase event, taking on four US Army soldiers at the Fort Bliss base in El Paso, Texas, in an 'all-beef' hot dog eating event. The contest, which hopes to raise money for military families, will last five minutes and Chestnut will have one eye on his rivals competing in Coney Island.

Chestnut has reportedly said he hopes to eat more hotdogs in five minutes than the winner of Nathan's competition does in 10 minutes. 'I think 56 is doable,' he said, per USA Today. 'I'd be very happy to do that.' Chestnut's challenge will be livestreamed on his YouTube channel and is set to start at 5 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, Nathan's competition will be broadcast on ESPN, with the women's event starting at 10:45 a.m.

ET and the men's event starting at 12 p.m. ET. The Major League Eating (MLE) organization, which oversees the world-renowned event, has emphasized that Chestnut is not banned for life from competing, citing his 20-year relationship with the league. The organization said that, to come back, Chestnut must renounce deals with brands that rival Nathan's. 'Joey Chestnut is an American hero.

We would love nothing more than to have him at Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which he has dominated for years. We hope that he returns when he is not representing a rival brand,' MLE said in a statement. An account under Chestnut's name posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday that he does 'not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with.' Joey Chestnut is usually a footlong favorite in the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, but the 16-time champion will not be participating this year, leaving a wide-open field with tighter betting odds than there have been in years. Geoffrey Esper was an even-money favorite in the men's competition at ESPN BET as of Thursday morning, followed closely by James Webb at +150. Miki Sudo, who was a commanding favorite in the women's competition at -750, became a 10-time champion by consuming 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes to set a world record for women.

Dental hygiene student Miki Sudo of Florida has won her 10th women's title at the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. On Thursday, Sudo consumed 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes and set a new world record for women. The 38-year-old defending champion last year won after eating 39 1/2 hot dogs, while her personal best is 48 1/2, the women's world record. She defeated 14 competitors from around the world, including 28-year-old rival rival Mayoi Ebihara of Japan. Ebihara came in second after eating 37 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

She was also the runner-up in 2023. Competitors have come from over a dozen states and five continents, with prospects from Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic vying for the coveted title in men's and women's divisions and $10,000 prize money. Thousands of fans flock each year to the event held outside the original Nathan's location in Brooklyn's Coney Island, a beachfront destination with amusement parks and a carnivalesque summer culture. ESPN broadcasts the contest live, kicking off with the women's division at 11 a.m. ET, while the men's will begin at approximately 12:20 p.m.

Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut, who won 16 out of the previous 17 contests, did not attend the competition over a sponsorship tiff. Instead, he'll compete against soldiers at a U.S. Army base in El Paso later in the day. 'There's going to be a new champion,' Australian James Webb, who holds a world record for eating 70 doughnuts in eight minutes, said at a preview event in New York on Wednesday. Last year Chestnut, of Indiana, chewed his way to the title by downing 62 dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

The record, which he set in 2021, is 76. Ahead of the event, ESPN said it would focus on two Americans with dedicated camera shots: Massachusetts high school teacher Geoffrey Esper in the men's division, and Sudo in the women's. Esper came second last year with 49 dogs and buns, though his personal best is 51.