Joey Chestnut returned to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest on Friday after a one-year hiatus and reclaimed his title in dominant fashion.
Chestnut devoured 70.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, about six short of his record of 76 set in 2021. The second-place finisher trailed by nearly 20 hot dogs.
The victory marked Chestnut’s 17th title at the annual Coney Island event.
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The competitive eating icon was barred from participating in 2024 after a dispute with contest organizers over his endorsement deal with rival brand Impossible Foods.
Instead, Chestnut faced longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi in a separate Labor Day event, streamed live on Netflix and billed as “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.”
Chestnut consumed 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes to claim the $100,000 grand prize, while Kobayashi ate 66 in what he said would be his final competition.
In the women’s division of this year’s Nathan’s contest, Miki Sudo secured her 11th title by eating 33 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
