View source for Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

{{Short description|American food eating competition}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name               = Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest
| logo               = 
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| image              = NathansHotDog-4_(48034163488).jpg
| image_size         = 
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| caption            = Nathan's Wall of Fame of contest winners, 2019
| status             = Active
| genre              = Hot dog competitive eating competition
| date               = July 4
| begins             = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
| ends               = <!-- {{end date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
| frequency          = Annually
| venue              = Nathan's Famous Corporation
| location           = [[Brooklyn]], New York City
| coordinates        = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|type:event|display=inline,title}} -->
| country            = United States
| years_active       = <!-- {{age|YYYY|mm|dd}} Date of the first occurrence -->
| first              = {{start date|1972|07|04}}
| founder_name       = <!-- or | founders = -->
| last               = <!-- Date of most recent event; if the event will not be held again, use {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| prev               = 
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| leader_name        = 
| patron             = 
| organised          = <!-- "organized=" also works -->
| filing             = 
| people             = 
| member             = 
| sponsor            = <!-- | or sponsors = -->
| website            = {{Official website|https://nathansfranks.sfdbrands.com/en-us/promotions/hot-dog-eating-contest/}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

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 Avenue]]s 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 Kobayashi|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>{{cite web|author=Ariana Brockington|date=July 4, 2024|title=Patrick Bertoletti, Miki Sudo win Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest|url=https://www.today.com/food/news/hot-dog-eating-contest-winner-2024-rcna160282}}</ref>

==Rules==

[[File:NathansHotDog-5_(48034119781).jpg|thumb|[[Nathan's Famous|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 [[Wild card (sports)|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. [[Condiment]]s 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. [[Penalty card#Yellow card|Yellow penalty cards]] can be issued for "messy eating",<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast">{{Cite episode| title=2011 Hot Dog Eating Contest (Live Television Broadcast)| network= ESPN| airdate = July 4, 2011|series=Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}}</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==
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2024}}
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 [[award]]ed 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 [[Nathan's Famous|original location]] on [[Coney Island]] most years since about 1972, usually in conjunction with [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]].<ref name="history">{{cite web| url=http://shop.nathansfamous.com/famousfacts| title=Famous Facts| publisher=Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs| access-date=December 11, 2006| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080803005044/http://shop.nathansfamous.com/famousfacts |archive-date = August 3, 2008}}</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">{{cite web |author=Robert D. McFadden |date=May 28, 1972 |title=Yesterday Was for Traveling, Strolling, Eating and Relaxing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/28/archives/yesterday-was-for-traveling-strolling-eating-and-relaxing.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809132126/http://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/28/archives/yesterday-was-for-traveling-strolling-eating-and-relaxing.html |archive-date=August 9, 2017 |access-date=February 11, 2017 |work=The New York Times}}</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)">{{cite web |date=September 3, 1972 |title=105-Pound Girl Eats 12 Hot Dogs to Win Contest |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AaheAAAAIBAJ&dq=melody%20andorfer&pg=5416%2C216648 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519041830/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AaheAAAAIBAJ&dq=melody%20andorfer&pg=5416,216648 |archive-date=May 19, 2022 |access-date=October 17, 2020 |work=St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press (sec. A, p. 2)}}</ref>

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the competition was dominated by [[Japanese people|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 [[Sports entertainment|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 [[List of competitive eaters|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 [[Litter (vehicle)|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 Famous|Nathan's]] due to [[Hurricane Sandy]] in October 2012, the location was repaired, reopened, and the 2013 event was held as scheduled.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nathans-famous-reopens-on-coney-island-in-time-for-memorial-day-weekend/ 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>{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-espn-hot-dog-eating-contest-20140701,0,7676919.story |title=ESPN Locks In Hot Dog Eating Contest through 2024 |publisher=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=July 1, 2014 |archive-date=July 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727175608/http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-espn-hot-dog-eating-contest-20140701,0,7676919.story |url-status=live }}</ref> The most recent broadcast rights deal, announced in November 2022, will keep the contest airing on ESPN through 2029.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Manzo |first1=John R. |title=ESPN & the International Federation of Competitive Eating Reach Extension on Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2022/11/espn-the-international-federation-of-competitive-eating-reach-extension-on-nathans-famous-hot-dog-eating-contest/ |website=espnpressroom.com |date=November 21, 2022 |publisher=ESPN, Inc. |access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref>

<!--===Specific competitions===-->
In 2003 former [[National Football League]] player [[William Perry (American football)|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>{{cite web |title=14 Delicious Facts About Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest |url=https://asliceofbrooklyn.com/14-delicious-facts-about-nathans-hot-dog-eating-contest/ |website=asliceofbrooklyn.com |date=June 30, 2016 |publisher=A Slice of Brooklyn |access-date=September 24, 2020 |archive-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601210714/https://asliceofbrooklyn.com/14-delicious-facts-about-nathans-hot-dog-eating-contest/ |url-status=live }}</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>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/rovell/020704.html |title=ESPN.com - Page2 - Accusations hurled at hot dog contest |publisher=Espn.go.com |access-date=February 24, 2012 |archive-date=January 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107143559/http://espn.go.com/page2/s/rovell/020704.html |url-status=live }}</ref> in a victory over [[Eric Booker|Eric "Badlands" Booker]].

On July 4, 2011, [[Sonya Thomas]] became the champion of the first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest for Women.<ref>{{cite web |author=Whitney Holtzman |url=https://www.espn.com/espnw/features/story/_/id/6721754/nathan-evens-playing-field |title=Nathan's evens playing field |publisher=ESPN |date=July 2, 2011 |access-date=July 4, 2018 |archive-date=July 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704183349/http://www.espn.com/espnw/features/article/6721754/nathan-evens-playing-field |url-status=live }}</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">{{cite web |author=Howard Thompson |date=May 26, 1975 |title=Going Out Guide |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/05/26/archives/going-out-guide.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519041839/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/05/26/archives/going-out-guide.html |archive-date=May 19, 2022 |access-date=February 11, 2017 |work=The New York Times (p. 6)}}</ref> Eating 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes, Thomas earned the inaugural [[Bismuth subsalicylate|Pepto-Bismol]]-sponsored pink belt and won $10,000.<ref name="First Nathan Champ for Women">{{cite web
 |title      = Sonya Thomas, The First Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Women's Champion!
 |url        = http://gothamist.com/2011/07/04/first_nathans_hot_dog_eating_contes.php
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171106064124/http://gothamist.com/2011/07/04/first_nathans_hot_dog_eating_contes.php
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-date = November 6, 2017
 |publisher  = Gothamist
 |author     = Jen Chung
 |access-date = July 4, 2011
}}</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>{{cite web |url=https://6abc.com/nathans-hot-dog-contest-eating-2020-hotdog/6297799/ |title=Joey Chestnut, Miki Sudo win Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, break records |date=July 4, 2020 |publisher=[[WPVI-TV]] |access-date=July 4, 2020 |archive-date=July 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704184823/https://6abc.com/nathans-hot-dog-contest-eating-2020-hotdog/6297799/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The 2020 Hot Dog Eating Contest {{!}} Nathan's Famous|url=https://nathansfamous.com/hot-dog-eating-contest/|access-date=August 3, 2020|website=nathansfamous.com|postscript=. The background of some pictures indicate this competition occurred in Williamsburg, Brooklyn|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812000018/https://www.nathansfamous.com/hot-dog-eating-contest/|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite news|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/415463-chestnut-wins-for-4th-straight-year-kobayashi-arrested|title=Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2010: Joey Chestnut Wins for Fourth Year|date=July 4, 2010|publisher=[[Bleacher Report]]|access-date=July 4, 2010|archive-date=October 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001221339/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/415463-chestnut-wins-for-4th-straight-year-kobayashi-arrested|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/04/2010-07-04_joey_jaws_chestnut_wins_nathans_july_fourth_hot_dog_eating_contest.html|title=Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut Wins Nathan's July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest|date=July 4, 2010|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|access-date=July 4, 2010|archive-date=July 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706215818/http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/04/2010-07-04_joey_jaws_chestnut_wins_nathans_july_fourth_hot_dog_eating_contest.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38086913/ns/sports-othersports/|title=Kobayashi Arrested After Chestnut's Hot Dog Win|date=July 4, 2010|publisher=[[NBC Sports]]|access-date=July 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709030959/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38086913/ns/sports-othersports/|archive-date=July 9, 2013|url-status=dead}}</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>{{cite web |url=http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/07/04/joey-chestnut-nathans-2011-hot-dog-contest_n_889722.html#s302839&title=Joey_Chestnut_Wins |title=Takeru Kobayashi Sets World Record With 69 Hot Dogs, Joey Chestnut Wins 2011 Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest |publisher=Weirdnews.aol.com |access-date=February 24, 2012 |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707160533/http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/07/04/joey-chestnut-nathans-2011-hot-dog-contest_n_889722.html#s302839&title=Joey_Chestnut_Wins |url-status=dead }}</ref> The sports website [[Deadspin]] deemed Kobayashi's solo appearance "an improbably perfect 'up yours' to the Nathan's hot dog eating contest."<ref>{{cite web |first=Luke |last=O'Brien |url=http://deadspin.com/5817974 |title=Kobayashi Somehow Sets A New, Totally Unofficial Hot Dog Eating Record |publisher=Deadspin.com |date=July 4, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2012 |archive-date=November 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106160340/https://deadspin.com/5817974 |url-status=live }}</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>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/06/11/joey-chestnut-nathans-hot-dog-contest-impossible-foods/ Joey Chestnut barred from Nathan’s hot dog contest over Impossible Foods deal] [[Washington Post]]</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2024/06/12/nx-s1-5003036/joey-chestnut-banned-nathans-hot-dog-eating-competition 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>[https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2024/06/27/joey-chesnut-july-4-2024/ Banned from Nathan’s, hot dog-eating champion Joey Chestnut will compete in Texas] [[The Dallas Morning News]]</ref><ref>[https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10126420-joey-chestnut-to-face-soldiers-in-hot-dog-eating-contest-on-july-4-amid-nathans-ban 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>[https://www.npr.org/2024/07/05/nx-s1-5030161/joey-chestnut-hot-dog-contest-fort-bliss-coney-island 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">{{cite news |author=Sam Roberts |date=August 18, 2010 |title=No, He Did Not Invent the Publicity Stunt |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/nyregion/19experience.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106193843/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/nyregion/19experience.html |archive-date=January 6, 2017 |access-date=February 11, 2017 |work=The New York Times}}</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 [[patriotism|patriotic]]. Some accounts alleged that a man named Jim Mullen won the first contest.<ref>{{cite book |author=Jason Fagone |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Y7fSMRrkUEC&q=%22Jim+Mullen%2A+is+the+original+hot-dog+champion.%22&pg=PT271 |title=Horsemen of the Esophagus: Competitive Eating and the Big Fat American Dream |date=2007 |publisher=Crown/Archetype |isbn=9780307347152 |page=215}}</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>{{cite web |date=July 4, 1980 |title=America is 204 years old |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bMUPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5694%2C528768 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306091440/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bMUPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5694,528768 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=October 17, 2020 |work=Boca Raton (Fla.) News (sec. A, p. 2)}}</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)">{{cite book |author=Jason Fagone |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=utR6mUoZBVIC&q=%22Rosey+also+elaborated+on+the+contest%27s+backstory%22&pg=PA221 |title=Horsemen of the Esophagus: Competitive Eating and the Big Fat American Dream |date=2007 |publisher=Crown/Archetype |isbn=9780307237392 |page=222}}</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>{{Cite web |title=Nathan's Famous July 4th Contest History |url=https://majorleagueeating.com/articles/1035/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=majorleagueeating.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-07-03 |title=How Hot Dog Eating Contest Became July 4 Tradition |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-did-july-4-hot-dog-eating-contest-become-holiday-n386456 |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</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)===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! Year
! Winner<br/>(and date, if prior to permanently moving all contests to Independence Day in 1997)
! Hot dogs and buns<br/>(HDB)
! Contest duration
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Note(s)
<!--|-
|rowspan=2|2022
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|}} 
|align="center"|??
|rowspan=2|10 min
|rowspan=2||-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|}} 
|align="center"|?? -->
|-
| rowspan="2" |2024
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Bertoletti]]
|align="center"|58
| rowspan="2" |10 min
| rowspan="2" |<small>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.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Miki Sudo]]
|align="center"|'''51'''
|-
|rowspan=2|2023<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://abc7ny.com/nathans-hotdogs-content-2023-hot-dog-eating-contest-coney-island-joey-chestnut/13456057/ |title=Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest: Reigning champs Chestnut, Sudo eat their way to victory |date=2023-07-04 |access-date=2023-07-04 |website=[[WABC-TV]]}}</ref>
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Joey Chestnut]]
|align="center"|62
|rowspan=2|10 min
|rowspan=2|
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align="center"|{{frac|39|1|2}}
|-
|rowspan=2|2022
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|63{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|rowspan=2|10 min
|rowspan=2|<small>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.</small> 
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align="center"|40
|-
|rowspan=2|2021
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|'''76'''
|rowspan=2|10 min
|rowspan=2|<small>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.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Michelle Lesco]]
|align="center"|{{frac|30|3|4}}
|-
|rowspan=2|2020
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|75
|rowspan=2|10 min
|rowspan=2|<small>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.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align="center"|{{frac|48|1|2}}
|-
|rowspan="2" |2019
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|71
|rowspan="2" |10 min
|rowspan="2" |<small>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.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align="center"|31
|-
|rowspan="2" |2018
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|74
|rowspan="2" |10 min
|rowspan="2" |<small>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.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align="center"|37
|-
|rowspan="2" |2017
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|72
|rowspan="2" |10 min
|rowspan="2" |<small>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).</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align="center"|41
|-
|rowspan=2|2016
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|70
|rowspan="2"|10 min
|rowspan="2"|<small>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 ({{frac|38|1|2}}) 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>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/moresports/story/_/id/16763727/joey-chestnut-eats-70-hot-dogs-wins-nathan-famous-crown|title=Joey Chestnut eats 70 hot dogs, 17 more than Matt Stonie, to win Nathan's title|last=Balsamo|first=Michael|date=July 4, 2016|website=[[ESPN]]|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=July 4, 2016|archive-date=July 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728130707/http://espn.go.com/moresports/story/_/id/16763727/joey-chestnut-eats-70-hot-dogs-wins-nathan-famous-crown|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align=center|{{frac|38|1|2}}
|-
|rowspan=2|2015
| style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Matt Stonie]]
|align="center"|62
|rowspan="2"|10 min
|rowspan="2"|<small>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).</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align=center|38
|-
|rowspan=2|2014
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|61
|rowspan="2"|10 min
|rowspan="2"|<small>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 ({{frac|27|3|4}} 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.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Miki Sudo
|align=center|34
|-
|rowspan=2|2013
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align="center"|69
|rowspan="2"|10 min
|rowspan="2"|<small>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 ({{frac|36|3|4}} HDB) won her third title.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Sonya Thomas]]
|align=center|{{frac|36|3|4}}
|-
|rowspan=2|2012
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align=center|68
|rowspan="2"|10 min
|rowspan=2|<small>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).</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Sonya Thomas
|align=center|45
|-
|rowspan=2|2011
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align=center|62
|rowspan="2" |10 min
|rowspan=2|<small>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.</small>
|-
|style="background:pink" nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Sonya Thomas
|align=center|40
|-
|2010
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align=center|54
|10 min
|<small>Chestnut (54), Tim "Eater X" Janus (45), and Patrick Bertoletti (37) round out the top three.</small>
|-
|2009
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align=center|68
|10 min
|<small>Chestnut (68 HDB) beat his previous record in 10 minutes, setting new event, U.S., and world records. Kobayashi ({{frac|64|1|2}} HDB) set a Japanese record. Patrick Bertoletti (55 HDB) finished third. Sonya Thomas (41 HDB) broke the female record.</small>
|-
|2008
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align=center|59<br/><br/>Eat-off: 5
|10 min<br/><br/>Eat-off: untimed, but completed in 50 sec.
|<small>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.</small>
|-
|2007
| style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Joey Chestnut
|align=center|66
|12 min
|<small>Having broken the world and U.S. records with {{frac|59|1|2}} 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.</small>
|-
|2006
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Takeru Kobayashi]]
|align=center|{{frac|53|3|4}}
|12 min
|<small>Winner Kobayashi sets event, Japanese and world records. Second place Joey Chestnut (52 HDB), sets U.S. record. Sonya Thomas (37) finishes third.</small>
|-
|2005
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Takeru Kobayashi
|align=center|49
|12 min
|<small>2nd: Sonya Thomas (37) sets U.S. record, Women's record. Future winner Joey Chestnut finishes third with 32.</small>
|-
|2004
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Takeru Kobayashi
|align=center|{{frac|53|1|2}}
|12 min
|<small>Event, United States and world records set. 2nd: Nobuyuki Shirota (38), Sonya Thomas (32 HDB) sets the female and U.S. records.</small>
|-
|2003
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Takeru Kobayashi
|align=center|{{frac|44|1|2}}
|12 min
|<small>Sonya Thomas (25 HDB) sets the female record. 2nd: Ed Jarvis ({{frac|30|1|2}}, American record), 3rd: Eric Booker (29). Twenty competitors and 3,000 spectators in attendance. [[William Perry (American football)|William "The Refrigerator" Perry]] competes, but eats only four HDB and drops out after five minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/moresports/news/2003/0704/1576745.html |title=2003 ESPN.com report |access-date=July 10, 2010 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305111144/http://espn.go.com/moresports/news/2003/0704/1576745.html |url-status=live }}</ref></small>
|-
|2002
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Takeru Kobayashi
|align=center|{{frac|50|1|2}}
|12 min
|<small>Event, Japanese and world records set.</small>
|-
|2001
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Takeru Kobayashi
|align=center|50
|12 min
|<small>20 competitors total. All-time world records set.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200605/competitive-eating/6 |title=Horsemen of the Esophagus |publisher=Theatlantic.com |date=May 1, 2006 |access-date=February 24, 2012 |archive-date=September 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907071835/http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200605/competitive-eating/6 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 2nd: Kazutoyo Arai (31), 3rd: Eric "Badlands" Booker (22).</small>
|-
|2000
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Kazutoyo Arai
|align=center|{{frac|25|1|8}}
|12 min
|<small>The contest was won by a 100-pound 32-year-old mattress salesman from [[Saitama, Saitama|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">{{cite web|title=Early eating world's best deciding match!|url=http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp.e.ck.hp.transer.com/tvchamp1/000824/under.htm|work=tv-tokyo.co.jp|date=2000|access-date=July 29, 2016|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705032916/http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp.e.ck.hp.transer.com/tvchamp1/000824/under.htm|url-status=live}}</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">{{cite web|title=Japanese Man Wins Hot Dog Contest|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96638&page=1|work=abcnews.go.com|date=July 4, 2000|access-date=July 28, 2016|archive-date=July 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702112106/https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96638&page=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Another describes this as the 85th annual contest.<ref name="tv-tokyo.co.jp"/></small>
|-
|1999
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Keiner]]
|align=center|{{frac|21|1|2}}
|12 min
|<small>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">{{cite web|author=Robert D. McFadden|date=July 5, 1999|title=Holiday Parades March By, But the Heat Is Just Settling In|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/05/nyregion/holiday-parades-march-by-but-the-heat-is-just-settling-in.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=August 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831212621/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/05/nyregion/holiday-parades-march-by-but-the-heat-is-just-settling-in.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and 60 pounds of hot dogs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Newsmakers: Nathan's hot-dog champ is dogged by controversy|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/179185487/?terms=%22dogged%20by%20controversy%22&match=1|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] (sec. D, p. 2)|date=July 6, 1999|access-date=July 9, 2022|archive-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709010608/https://www.newspapers.com/image/179185487/?terms=%22dogged%20by%20controversy%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</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">{{cite web|author=Michael Finnegan|date=July 6, 1999|title=Nathan's Champ Called Cheat Eating Contest Rematch Sought|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/nathan-champ-called-cheat-eating-contest-rematch-sought-article-1.852481|work=New York Daily News|access-date=August 8, 2016|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205344/https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/nathan-champ-called-cheat-eating-contest-rematch-sought-article-1.852481|url-status=live}}</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"/></small>
|-
|1998
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Hirofumi Nakajima
|align=center|19
|12 min
|<small>The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 135-pound, 23 year old furniture delivery worker from [[Kōfu|Kōfu, Japan]]. The prizes were "the coveted mustard-yellow International Belt, a huge red trophy, and 20 pounds of Nathan's hot dogs."<ref>{{cite news|author=Jeanne King|date=July 5, 1998|title=Japanese retains hot dog competition title|agency=Reuters}}</ref> A 387-pound, 29 year old corrections officer from Brooklyn, Charles "Hungry" Hardy, was the runner-up and consumed {{frac|17|1|2}} hot dogs.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lisi De Bourbon|date=July 5, 1998|title=World's champion hot dog eater retains his crown at Coney Island|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/95429866/?terms=%22retains%20his%20crown%22&match=1|work=[[Santa Cruz Sentinel]] (sec. C, p. 9)|access-date=July 9, 2022|archive-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709010609/https://www.newspapers.com/image/95429866/?terms=%22retains%20his%20crown%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite web|title=(Hot) Dog Days of Summer: 19 Takes Title|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/160058641/?terms=%22%28Hot%29%20Dog%20Days%22|work=Los Angeles Times (sec. A, p. 20)|date=July 5, 1998|access-date=July 9, 2022|archive-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709010608/https://www.newspapers.com/image/160058641/?terms=%22(Hot)%20Dog%20Days%22|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1997
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|JPN}} Hirofumi Nakajima<br/>
|align=center|{{frac|24|1|2}}
|12 min
|<small>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)">{{cite book|author=Ryan Nerz|date=April 2006|title=Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SP3CK4iGDK4C&q=%22Three+years+later%2C+in+January+of+1991%2C+Max+Rosey+lay+in+a+hospital+bed%22&pg=PA15|publisher=St. Martin's Press |page=15|isbn=9780312339685}}</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>{{cite web|title=Japanese Goes Faster, 'Furter in Hot Dog Contest|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-05-mn-9854-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 5, 1997|access-date=July 27, 2016|archive-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819164506/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/jul/05/news/mn-9854|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|rowspan=2|1996
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN''<br/>{{flagicon|Japan}} Hirofumi Nakajima<br/>''<small>December 4</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|23|1|4}}
|12 min
|rowspan=2|<small>The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 300-pound man from [[Queens]].<ref name="cnn.com">{{cite web|title=Man downs 22 hot dogs to win contest|url=http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/1996/4july/stories/hotdog.contest/index.html|work=cnn.com|date=July 4, 1996|access-date=February 24, 2012|archive-date=November 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112131534/http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/1996/4july/stories/hotdog.contest/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The prizes apparently included the bejeweled mustard-yellow belt and a trophy, if not more.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nathan's 4th July Hot Dog Contest (caption)|url=http://www.gettyimages.com/event/nathans-4th-july-hot-dog-contest-560367575#still-champ-ed-krachie-of-queens-holds-up-his-winners-belt-and-trophy-picture-id97320723|work=gettyimages.com|date=July 4, 1996|access-date=July 26, 2014|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820203934/http://www.gettyimages.com/event/nathans-4th-july-hot-dog-contest-560367575#still-champ-ed-krachie-of-queens-holds-up-his-winners-belt-and-trophy-picture-id97320723|url-status=live}}</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">{{cite web|author=Tracy Connor|date=July 1, 1996|title=Sliwa makes bid for frank-eating title|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/07/01/Sliwa-makes-bid-for-frank-eating-title/8818836193600/|work=United Press International|access-date=July 25, 2016|archive-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808001607/http://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/07/01/Sliwa-makes-bid-for-frank-eating-title/8818836193600/|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite book|author=Ryan Nerz|date=April 2006|title=Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SP3CK4iGDK4C&q=%22A+YEAR+OF+GORGING+AND+GLORY%22|work=Macmillan (p. 63)|publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9780312339685}}</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 (state)|New York]] was the runner-up. Only those 2 contestants participated.<ref>{{cite web|author=Scott Neuman|date=December 4, 1996|title=Japan snatches top dog title from U.S.|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/12/04/Japan-snatches-top-dog-title-from-US/4034849675600/|work=United Press International|accessdate=July 24, 2016|archive-date=August 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807230457/http://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/12/04/Japan-snatches-top-dog-title-from-US/4034849675600/|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Ed Krachie<br/>''<small>[[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]]</small>''
|align=center|22
|12 min
|-
|1995
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Ed Krachie<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|19|1|2}}
|12 min
|<small>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">{{cite news|author=David Stout|date=July 5, 1995|title=New Jersey Daily Briefing: A Coup in Hot Dog Land|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5D8123EF936A35754C0A963958260|work=The New York Times}}</ref></small>
|-
|1994
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael DeVito|Mike DeVito]]<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|20
|12 min<ref>{{cite web|author=Corky Siemaszko|date=July 5, 1994|title=A boom town for the day: Big Apple proudly hails Fourth of July|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/474269751/?terms=%22Big%20Apple%20proudly%22&match=1|work=[[New York City|New York]] [[New York Daily News|Daily News]] (sec. C, p. 3)|access-date=July 22, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000232/https://www.newspapers.com/image/474269751/?terms=%22Big%20Apple%20proudly%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
|<small>The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 32 year old [[accountant]].<ref name="New York Times no. 5">{{cite web|title=Chronicle|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/05/nyregion/chronicle-582492.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 1994|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819105728/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/05/nyregion/chronicle-582492.html|url-status=live}}</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"/></small>
|-
|rowspan=2|1993
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Mike DeVito<br/>''<small>October 27<ref>{{cite news|title=Devouring those dirty-water dogs (caption)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50010441/the-journal-news/|work=[[Rockland, New York|Rockland]] ([[New York (state)|N.Y.]]) [[The Journal News|Journal–News]] (sec. B, p. 5)|date=October 28, 1993|page=29|access-date=June 14, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195412/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50010441/the-journal-news/|url-status=live}}</ref></small>''
|align=center|18
|30 min
|rowspan=2|<small>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 {{frac|14|1|2}} hot dogs. Willie Dykstra of Brooklyn was the top female contestant and consumed {{frac|7|1|2}} 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">{{cite web|title=Jersey hotdog gobbler wins back title|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/07/04/Jersey-hotdog-gobbler-wins-back-title/2922741758400/|work=United Press International|date=July 4, 1993|access-date=July 24, 2016|archive-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808050722/http://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/07/04/Jersey-hotdog-gobbler-wins-back-title/2922741758400/|url-status=live}}</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)">{{cite book|author=Ryan Nerz|date=April 2006|title=Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SP3CK4iGDK4C&q=%221990%2C+while+commuting+from+his+New+Jersey+home+to+his+job+on+Wall%22&pg=PA62|publisher=St. Martin's Press |page=62|isbn=9780312339685}}</ref> something that he would later have a modest success in.<ref>{{cite web|title=Frankie Dellarosa|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0217456/|work=imdb.com|access-date=July 23, 2016|archive-date=February 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217084206/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0217456/|url-status=live}}</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)">{{cite book|author=Ryan Nerz|date=April 2006|title=Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SP3CK4iGDK4C&dq=%22proach+to+the+sport+%28he+was+the+first+to+realize+that+a+two-dog-%22&pg=PA17|publisher=St. Martin's Press (p. 17)|isbn=9780312339685}}</ref> Years later it was stated that the prize was the bejeweled mustard-colored belt "created by the descendants of [[House of Fabergé|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)"/></small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Mike DeVito<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|17
|12 min
|-
|1992
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Frankie Dellarosa<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|19
|12 min<ref name="New York Daily News (p. 3)">{{cite web|title=Frankly, this king still rules|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/469833057/?terms=%22franks%20do%20after%20downing%2020%22&match=1|work=[[New York City|New York]] [[New York Daily News|Daily News]] (p. 3)|date=July 5, 1992|access-date=July 22, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000239/https://www.newspapers.com/image/469833057/?terms=%22franks%20do%20after%20downing%2020%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
|<small>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)"/></small>
|-
|1991
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Frankie Dellarosa<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|21
|12 min
|<small>The contest was won by a 270-pound, 23 year old engineer<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 1 )">{{cite web|title=Engineer wolfs way to dog title|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gQoxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5282%2C843952|work=Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 1 )|date=July 5, 1991|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510144350/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gQoxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5282,843952|url-status=live}}</ref> and part-time [[Hofstra Pride football|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 )"/></small>
|-
|1990
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Mike DeVito<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Jay Green<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|15
|12 min
|<small>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>{{cite web|title=On the Fourth, Feeling Cooked On a 93 degrees Grill|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/05/nyregion/on-the-fourth-feeling-cooked-on-a-93-degrees-grill.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 1990|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007060840/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/05/nyregion/on-the-fourth-feeling-cooked-on-a-93-degrees-grill.html|url-status=live}}</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)">{{cite web|title=A day to relish|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XyMiAAAAIBAJ&pg=2893%2C391246|work=Norwalk (Conn.) Hour (p. 3)|date=July 5, 1990|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205705/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XyMiAAAAIBAJ&pg=2893,391246|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1989
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Jay Green<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|15|1|2}}
|12 min
|<small>The contest was won by the reigning champion, a 215-pound, 31 year old dry wall contractor, who, as per contest rules, was declared "retired" after the competition for being a two-time winner. 24 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 73rd annual contest.<ref name="Schenectady (N.Y.) Gazette (p. 12)">{{cite web|title=Green Claims 2nd Victory in Hot Dog Contest|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xnEhAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=5168%2C735803|work=Schenectady (N.Y.) Gazette (p. 12)|date=July 5, 1989|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507122107/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xnEhAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=5168,735803|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1988
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Jay Green<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|10
|12 min
|<small>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)">{{cite web|title=1987 runner-up is hot dog king|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7dsxAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=6804%2C3382102|work=Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 14)|date=July 5, 1988|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205704/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7dsxAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=6804,3382102|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1987
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Don Wolfman<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|13|1|2}}
|10 min
|<small>29 year old future champion Jay Green was the runner-up and consumed {{frac|13|1|4}} hot dogs.<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 14)"/> A press account from the time describes this as the 71st annual contest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Americans mark July 4 with parades, fireworks|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C4A1AAAAIBAJ&pg=6731,829074&dq=hot+dog+contest&hl=en|work=Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard (sec. C, p. 10)|date=July 4, 1987|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205805/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C4A1AAAAIBAJ&pg=6731,829074&dq=hot+dog+contest&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|rowspan=2|1986
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Mark Heller<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|15|1|2}}
|10 min
|rowspan=2|<small>The contest was won by a 245-pound man; the prizes were a plaque and a year supply of hot dogs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Contest winner finishes 'dog' tired|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/112353886/?terms=%22Contest%20winner%20finishes%22&match=1|work=[[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] [[The Tennessean|Tennessean]] (sec. A, p. 3)|date=July 7, 1986|access-date=July 9, 2022|archive-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709010609/https://www.newspapers.com/image/112353886/?terms=%22Contest%20winner%20finishes%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite web|title=Winner a hot dog|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W9xVAAAAIBAJ&pg=4742,1457580&dq=hot+dog+contest&hl=en|work=Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard (sec. A, p. 2)|date=July 7, 1986|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506015944/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W9xVAAAAIBAJ&pg=4742,1457580&dq=hot+dog+contest&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> An earlier 1986 contest was also sponsored by Nathan's. It was won by a 264-pound, 21-year-old student from [[Tokyo|Tokyo, Japan]]. Reigning champion Oscar Rodriguez was the runner-up and consumed {{frac|9|1|2}} hot dogs. Only those 2 contestants participated.<ref name="Salt Lake City Deseret News (sec. A, p. 3)">{{cite web|title=Hot dog champion relishes his victory but craves sushi|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8tQjAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=5326%2C5275788|work=Salt Lake City Deseret News (sec. A, p. 3)|date=February 13–14, 1986|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510144420/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8tQjAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=5326,5275788|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|style="background:yellow" nowrap="nowrap"|''ONE-ON-ONE CHALLENGE WITH JAPAN''<br/>{{flagicon|Japan}} Hiroaki Tominaga<br />''<small>February 11</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|10|1|2}}
|10 min
|-
|1985
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Oscar Rodriguez<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|11|3|4}}
|12 min
|<small>The contest was won by a 21-year-old man. More than 40 contestants participated.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jilian Mincer|date=July 5, 1985|title=Miss Liberty Offstage, Buy City Has A Popping 4th|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/05/nyregion/miss-liberty-offstage-buy-city-has-a-popping-4th.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007060831/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/05/nyregion/miss-liberty-offstage-buy-city-has-a-popping-4th.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br/></small>
|-
|1984
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|GER}} Birgit Felden<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|9|1|2}}
|10 min
|<small>The contest was won by a 130-pound,<ref name="Daytona Beach (Fla.) Morning Journal (sec. D, p. 3)">{{cite web|title=German Scores in Frankfurter Contest|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QpkpAAAAIBAJ&pg=3427%2C2101684|work=Daytona Beach (Fla.) Morning Journal (sec. D, p. 3)|date=July 5, 1984|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506015946/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QpkpAAAAIBAJ&pg=3427,2101684|url-status=live}}</ref> 17 year old [[West Germany|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 Kanokogi|Ryohei]] and [[Rena Kanokogi|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)"/></small>
|-
|1983
| nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Emil Gomez<br />''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|10|1|2}}
|10 min
|<small>The contest was won by a 210-pound, 25 year old accountant from [[the Bronx]].<ref>{{cite web|title=America waves flag to celebrate Fourth|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kyA0AAAAIBAJ&pg=3469,1241371&dq=hot+dog+contest&hl=en|work=Bangor (Maine) Daily News (p. 1)|date=July 5, 1983|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506015948/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kyA0AAAAIBAJ&pg=3469,1241371&dq=hot+dog+contest&hl=en|url-status=live}}</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)">{{cite web|title=It's hot in the Big Apple|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/114181403/|work=Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal (p. 8)|date=July 5, 1983|access-date=July 10, 2016|archive-date=August 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818134049/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/114181403/|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1982
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Steven Abrams<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''<br>''<small>(observed July 5)</small>''
|align=center|11+
|10 min<ref name="New York Daily News no. 2">{{cite web|author=Larry Sutton|date=July 6, 1982|title=Boatload o' joy|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/490103666/?terms=%22Larry%20Sutton%22&match=1|work=[[New York City|New York]] [[New York Daily News|Daily News]] (p. 4)|access-date=July 22, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000234/https://www.newspapers.com/image/490103666/?terms=%22Larry%20Sutton%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
|<small>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">{{cite web|author=Robert D. McFadden|date=July 6, 1982|title=Holiday Crowds Sample Pristine Day's Pleasures|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/06/nyregion/holiday-crowds-sample-pristine-day-s-pleasures.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007060950/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/06/nyregion/holiday-crowds-sample-pristine-day-s-pleasures.html|url-status=live}}</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"/></small>
|-
|1981
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Thomas DeBerry<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|11
|5 min<ref name="New York Daily News no. 3">{{cite web|author=Marcia Kramer|date=July 5, 1981|title=Red, white & blue banishes the gray|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/488680159/?terms=%22Marcia%20Kramer%22&match=1|work=[[New York City|New York]] [[New York Daily News|Daily News]] (p. 4)|access-date=July 22, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000233/https://www.newspapers.com/image/488680159/?terms=%22Marcia%20Kramer%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
|<small>The contest was won by a 35 year old Housing Authority gardener from Coney Island, Brooklyn. He "downed 11 hot dogs in five minutes and then rushed off with his family to attend a barbecue."<ref>{{cite web|author=Paul L. Montgomery|date=July 5, 1981|title=Rain Curtails Fourth of July Crowds|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/05/nyregion/rain-curtails-fourth-of-july-crowds.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007060857/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/05/nyregion/rain-curtails-fourth-of-july-crowds.html|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1980
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Joe Baldini<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry Butler (actor)|Paul Siederman]]<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|9|3|4}}+<br/><br/>Eat-off: {{frac|3|1|2}}
|10 min<br/><br/>Eat-off: 3 min
|<small>The contest was tied by a 190-pound, 25 year old unemployed pharmacist (Baldini) and a 260-pound, 21 year old unemployed actor (Siederman), both from Brooklyn. Each then tied again after a tie-breaking eat-off. The prizes were "two trophies and a pair of yellow plastic bags". Reigning co-champion Jim Mattner was the third-place finisher and consumed approximately 9 hot dogs. 28 contestants participated. A press account from the time describes this as the 64th annual contest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coney kings crowned after hotdog contest|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8iZYAAAAIBAJ&pg=4459%2C6933148|work=Bend (Ore.) Bulletin (p. 25)|date=July 5, 1980|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506015945/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8iZYAAAAIBAJ&pg=4459,6933148|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1979
|nowrap="nowrap"|
{{flagicon|USA}} Luther Frazier<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Jim Mattner<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|10<br/><br/>Eat-off: {{frac|3|1|2}}<ref name="New York Newsday (sec. Q, p. 7)">{{cite web|title=A Rainy Fourth Fails to Dampen City's Celebration|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/717038572/?terms=%22Rainy%20Fourth%22&match=1|work=[[New York City|New York]] [[Newsday]] (sec. Q, p. 7)|date=July 5, 1979|access-date=July 22, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000237/https://www.newspapers.com/image/717038572/?terms=%22Rainy%20Fourth%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
|10 min<br/><br/>Eat-off: {{frac|3|1|2}} min<ref name="New York Newsday (sec. Q, p. 7)"/>
|<small>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)"/></small>
|-
|1978
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Manel Hollenback<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Kevin Sinclair<br/>''<small>[[Memorial Day]]</small>''
|align=center|10
|{{frac|6|1|2}} min
|<small>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)">{{cite web|title=Two share prize|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8W9UAAAAIBAJ&dq=nathan%20hot%20dog%20contest&pg=4174%2C4040481|work=Ellensburg (Wash.) Daily Record (p. 11)|date=May 31, 1978|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205705/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8W9UAAAAIBAJ&dq=nathan%20hot%20dog%20contest&pg=4174,4040481|url-status=live}}</ref></small>
|-
|1976–1977
|style="background:#d3d3d3" nowrap="nowrap"; colspan="4"; align="center"|<small>''(no documented contests)''</small>
|-
|rowspan=2|1975
|nowrap="nowrap"|''MEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Lonnie Brown<br/>''<small>Memorial Day</small>''
|align=center|8
|rowspan=2|{{frac|3|1|2}} min, with a 1 min break
|rowspan=2|<small>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)">{{cite web|title=News Makers: Hot dog queen?|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/137063370/|work=[[Rochester, New York|Rochester]] [[Democrat and Chronicle]] (sec. C, p. 1)|date=May 27, 1975|access-date=June 12, 2021|archive-date=June 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612160000/https://www.newspapers.com/image/137063370/|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite web|author=Jerry Adler|date=May 27, 1975|title=Slip In a Ringer at Hot Dog Chompfest|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/464395798/|work=[[New York City|New York]] [[New York Daily News|Daily News]] (sec. ML, p. 7)|access-date=June 14, 2021|archive-date=June 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614230111/https://www.newspapers.com/image/464395798/|url-status=live}}</ref> he was a 28 year old [[National Guard (United States)|National Guardsman]] from [[Far Rockaway, Queens]]. 15 contestants participated.<ref name="Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (sec. C, p. 1)"/></small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|''WOMEN'S''<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Sharlene Smith<br/>''<small>Memorial Day</small>''
|align=center|{{frac|8|1|2}}
|-
|rowspan=3|1974
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Walter Paul<br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Paul Sirop<br/>''<small>[[Labor Day]]</small>''
|align=center|<small>''(unknown)''</small>
|<small>''(unknown)''</small>
|rowspan=3|<small>The first 1974 contest was held on April 7 (opening day for Coney Island's summer season activities)<ref name="Crown/Archetype (p. 221)">{{cite book|author=Jason Fagone|date=2007|title=Horsemen of the Esophagus: Competitive Eating and the Big Fat American Dream|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=utR6mUoZBVIC&q=%22column+about+how+Morty+would%22&pg=PA221|work=Crown/Archetype (p. 221)|publisher=Three Rivers Press |isbn=9780307237392}}</ref> and was won by a 22 year old [[Borough of Manhattan Community College|Manhattan Community College]] student from [[Astoria, Queens]]; the prize was a trophy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nine hot dogs get him a trophy|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/156110578/|work=Wilmington (Del.) Morning News (p. 22)|date=April 12, 1974|access-date=July 7, 2016|archive-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819072358/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/156110578/|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite web|title=Still Hungry|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uBpdAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=1646%2C530505|work=St. Joseph (Mo.) Gazette (sec. B, p. 2)|date=July 5, 1974|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506015944/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uBpdAAAAIBAJ&dq=hot%20dog%20contest&pg=1646,530505|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite web|title=A Weiner & Hungry Look|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/491512804/?terms=%22Charles%20Frattini%22&match=1|work=[[New York City|New York]] [[New York Daily News|Daily News]] (p. 7)|date=September 3, 1974|access-date=July 22, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000236/https://www.newspapers.com/image/491512804/?terms=%22Charles%20Frattini%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</ref> There was apparently no tie-breaking eat-off.</small> 
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Roberto Muriel<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|10
|{{frac|3|1|2}} min
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} John Connolly<br/>''<small>Opening day of Coney Island's summer season</small>''<br>''<small>(April 7)</small>''
|align=center|9
|{{frac|2|1|2}} min
|-
|rowspan=2|1973
|nowrap="nowrap"|''(unknown)''<br/>''<small>Independence Day</small>''
|align=center|<small>''(unknown)''</small>
|<small>''(unknown)''</small>
|rowspan=2|<small>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>{{cite web|author=Colleen Sullivan|date=April 8, 1973|title=Boycott Leaders Hail Protest; Price Watchers Are Skeptical|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/718540930/|work=[[Melville, New York|Melville]] ([[New York (state)|N.Y.]]) [[Newsday|Sunday Newsday]]: [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]] Ed. (p. 5)|access-date=June 12, 2021|archive-date=June 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612160000/https://www.newspapers.com/image/718540930/|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite web|author=Linda Greenhouse|date=July 4, 1973|title=Old-Time One-Day Fourth To Get New Angles Here|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/04/archives/oldtime-oneday-fourth-to-get-new-angles-here-air-show-scheduled.html|work=The New York Times (p. 38)|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506015945/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/04/archives/oldtime-oneday-fourth-to-get-new-angles-here-air-show-scheduled.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but no results are known to have been compiled and released to the public.</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|''(canceled)''<br/>''<small>Opening day of Coney Island's summer season</small>''<br>''<small>(April 7)</small>''
|align=center|—
|—
|-
|rowspan=2|1972
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Melody Andorfer<br/>''<small>Labor Day</small>''
|align=center|12
|5 min
|rowspan=2|<small>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>{{cite web|author=Charles Denson|date=April 23, 2020|title=Melody Andorfer: 'Hot Dog Queen' and Winner of the 1972 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest|url=https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history-archive/melody-andorfer|work=coneyislandhistory.org|accessdate=2021-07-20|archive-date=July 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000243/https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history-archive/melody-andorfer|url-status=live}}</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)"/></small> <small>In 2020, the [[Coney Island History Project]] interviewed Andorfer.</small><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-10 |title=Melody Andorfer |url=https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history-archive/melody-andorfer |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Coney Island History Project |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722000243/https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history-archive/melody-andorfer |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Jason Schechter<br/>''<small>Memorial Day</small>''
|align=center|14
|{{frac|3|1|2}} min
|-
|1968–1971
|style="background:#d3d3d3" nowrap="nowrap"; colspan="4"; align="center"|<small>''(no documented contests)''</small>
|-
|1967
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{flagicon|USA}} Walter Paul<br/>''<small>[[Centennial]] celebration of the invention of the hot dog</small>''<br>''<small>(June 30)</small>''
|align=center|17{{ref|reference_name_B|b}}
|60 min
|<small>The contest was held on June 30 (designated as the 100th anniversary of the invention of the hot dog) and was won by a 400-pound, 32 year old truck driver. The prize was "a trophy proclaiming him the world's champion hot dog eater." He consumed the hot dogs over the period of "one hour flat".<ref>{{cite web|title=Frankfurter Fan Downs 127 for Centennial Title|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FgMqAAAAIBAJ&pg=4511,12128&hl=en|work=Milwaukee Journal (p. 2)|date=July 1, 1967}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Man Gobbles 127 Hot Dogs|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IxwrAAAAIBAJ&pg=6803%2C365137|work=Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 14)|date=July 2, 1967|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=July 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703201454/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IxwrAAAAIBAJ&pg=6803%2C365137|url-status=live}}</ref> It is not immediately clear if he ate buns with the hot dogs.</small>
|}
{{note|reference_name_A|a}} final total may have been affected by interruption from protestor<ref>{{cite web|author=Scott Gleeson|date=July 4, 2022|title=Joey Chestnut puts protestor in brief chokehold during his Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest victory|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/joey-chestnut-puts-protestor-brief-175356245.html|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=2022-07-04|archive-date=July 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704203548/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/joey-chestnut-puts-protestor-brief-175356245.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br>{{note|reference_name_B|b}} 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 {{frac|13|1|2}}, {{frac|17|1|2}}, or {{frac|18|1|2}} 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, {{frac|13|1|2}}<ref name="Salt Lake City Deseret News (sec. A, p. 3)"/><br/>
1979: unspecified contestant, {{frac|17|1|2}}<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 14)"/><br/>
1978: Walter Paul (described as being from [[Coney Island]], [[Brooklyn]]), 17<ref>{{cite web|title=Extra! Man bites dog—15 of 'em|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/13855370/|work=Tyrone (Pa.) Daily Herald (p. 6)|date=July 7, 1986|access-date=July 10, 2016|archive-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819020354/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/13855370/|url-status=live}}</ref><br/>
1974: unspecified contestant, 16<ref name="New York Daily News no. 3"/><br/>
1968: Walter Paul (described as "a rotund Coney Island carnival caretaker"), 17<ref name="Schenectady (N.Y.) Gazette (p. 12)"/><br/>
1959: Peter Washburn (described as "a one-armed Brooklyn Carnival worker"), {{frac|18|1|2}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Ryan Nerz|date=April 2006|title=Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SP3CK4iGDK4C&q=%22selhoff%2C+the+former+Baywatch+star%22&pg=PA61|work=St. Martin's Griffin (p. 61)|publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9780312339685}}</ref> or 17<ref name="St. Martin's Press (p. 62)"/><br />
1959: Paul Washburn (described as a carnival worker from Brooklyn), {{frac|17|1|2}}<ref name="Reading (Pa.) Eagle (p. 1 )"/><br />
1959: Walter Paul (described as a 260-pound man from Brooklyn), 17<ref name="Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal (p. 8)"/><br />
1957: Paul Washburn, {{frac|17|1|2}}<ref name="Norwalk (Conn.) Hour (p. 3)"/>

===By champion===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | No. of Titles
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Year(s)
|-
| align="center" | 16
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Joey Chestnut]]
| 2007–2014, 2016–2023
|-
| align="center" | 10
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Miki Sudo]]
| 2014–2020, 2022–2024
|-
| align="center" | 6
| {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Takeru Kobayashi]]
| 2001–2006
|-
| align="center"| 4
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael DeVito|Mike DeVito]] 
| 1990,{{ref|reference_name_A|a}} 1993 <small>''([[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] & October 27)''</small>–1994
|-
| align="center"| 3
| {{flagicon|USA}} Jay Green
| 1988–1990{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 3
| {{flagicon|Japan}} Hirofumi Nakajima
| 1996 <small>''(December 4)''</small>–1998
|-
| align="center"| 3
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sonya Thomas]]
| 2011–2013
|-
| align="center"| 2
| {{flagicon|USA}} Frankie Dellarosa
| 1991–1992
|-
| align="center"| 2
| {{flagicon|USA}} Ed Krachie
| 1995–1996
|-
| align="center"| 2
| {{flagicon|USA}} Walter Paul
| 1967 <small>''(Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog)''</small>, 1974 <small>''([[Labor Day]])''</small>{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Steven Abrams
| 1982
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Melody Andorfer
| 1972 <small>''(Labor Day)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|Japan}} Kazutoyo Arai
| 2000
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Joe Baldini
| 1980{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Bertoletti]]
|2024
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Lonnie Brown
| 1975 <small>''([[Memorial Day]])''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Connolly
| 1974 <small>''(Opening day of Coney Island's summer season)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Thomas DeBerry
| 1981
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|GER}} Birgit Felden
| 1984
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Luther Frazier
| 1979{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Emil Gomez
| 1983
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Heller
| 1986
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Manel Hollenback
| 1978{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Keiner]]
| 1999
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michelle Lesco]]
| 2021
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Jim Mattner
| 1979{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Roberto Muriel
| 1974
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Oscar Rodriguez
| 1985
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Jason Schechter
| 1972 <small>''(Memorial Day)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry Butler (actor)|Paul Siederman]]
| 1980{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Kevin Sinclair
| 1978{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Paul Sirop
| 1974 <small>''(Labor Day)''</small>{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Sharlene Smith
| 1975 <small>''(Memorial Day)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Matt Stonie]]
| 2015
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|Japan}} Hiroaki Tominaga
| 1986 <small>''(February 11)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| <small>''(unknown)''</small>
| 1973
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Don Wolfman
| 1987
|}
{{note|reference_name_A|a}} the 1974 ''[[Labor Day]]'' and 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1990 ''[[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]]'' competitions ended in ties

===By contest type===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Joint male & female competitions (1967, 1972–1974, 1978–2010)
|-
!scope=col| No. of Titles
!scope=col| Name
!scope=col| Year(s)
|-
| align="center"| 6
| {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Takeru Kobayashi]]
| 2001–2006
|-
| align="center"| 4
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Joey Chestnut]]
| 2007–2010
|-
| align="center"| 3
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael DeVito|Mike DeVito]] 
| 1990,{{ref|reference_name_A|a}} 1993–1994
|-
| align="center"| 3
| {{flagicon|USA}} Jay Green
| 1988–1990{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 2
| {{flagicon|USA}} Frankie Dellarosa
| 1991–1992
|-
| align="center"| 2
| {{flagicon|USA}} Ed Krachie
| 1995–1996
|-
| align="center"| 2
| {{flagicon|Japan}} Hirofumi Nakajima
| 1997–1998
|-
| align="center"| 2
| {{flagicon|USA}} Walter Paul
| 1967 <small>''(Centennial celebration of the invention of the hot dog)''</small>, 1974 <small>''([[Labor Day]])''</small>{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Steven Abrams
| 1982
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Melody Andorfer
| 1972 <small>''(Labor Day)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|Japan}} Kazutoyo Arai
| 2000
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Joe Baldini
| 1980{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Connolly
| 1974 <small>''(Opening day of Coney Island's summer season)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Thomas DeBerry
| 1981
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|GER}} Birgit Felden
| 1984
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Luther Frazier
| 1979{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Emil Gomez
| 1983
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Heller
| 1986
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Manel Hollenback
| 1978{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Keiner]]
| 1999
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Jim Mattner
| 1979{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Roberto Muriel
| 1974
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Oscar Rodriguez
| 1985
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Jason Schechter
| 1972 <small>''([[Memorial Day]])''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry Butler (actor)|Paul Siederman]]
| 1980{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Kevin Sinclair
| 1978{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Paul Sirop
| 1974 <small>''(Labor Day)''</small>{{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
| align="center"| 1
| <small>''(unknown)''</small>
| 1973
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Don Wolfman
| 1987
|}
{{note|reference_name_A|a}} the 1974 ''[[Labor Day]]'' and 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1990 ''[[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]]'' competitions ended in ties

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Men's-only competitions (1975, 2011–Present)
|-
!scope=col| No. of Titles
!scope=col| Name
!scope=col| Year(s)
|-
| align="center"| 11
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Joey Chestnut]]
| 2011–2014, 2016–2023
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Bertoletti]]
| 2024
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Lonnie Brown
| 1975 <small>''([[Memorial Day]])''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Matt Stonie]]
| 2015
|}

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Women's-only competitions (1975, 2011–Present){{ref|reference_name_A|a}}
|-
!scope=col| No. of Titles
!scope=col| Name
!scope=col| Year(s)
|-
| align="center"| 8
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Miki Sudo]]
| 2014–2020, 2022–2023
|-
| align="center"| 3
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sonya Thomas]]
| 2011–2013
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michelle Lesco]]
| 2021
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} Sharlene Smith
| 1975 <small>''([[Memorial Day]])''</small>
|}
{{note|reference_name_A|a}} 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>{{cite web|title=Ready, set, eat (caption)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/277359883/?terms=%22Takeru%20Kobayashi%22&match=1|work=[[Tulare, California|Tulare]] ([[California|Calif.]]) Advance-Register (sec. A, p. 4)|date=July 5, 2004|access-date=July 9, 2022|archive-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709010609/https://www.newspapers.com/image/277359883/?terms=%22Takeru%20Kobayashi%22&match=1|url-status=live}}</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>{{cite web|title=Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest|url=https://www.yummymath.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/hot-dog-eating.pdf|work=yummymath.com|access-date=July 9, 2022|archive-date=August 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807140359/https://www.yummymath.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/hot-dog-eating.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+One-on-One Challenges with Japan (1986, 1993, 1996)
|-
!scope=col| No. of Titles
!scope=col| Name
!scope=col| Year
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael DeVito|Mike DeVito]]
| 1993 <small>''(October 27)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|Japan}} Hirofumi Nakajima
| 1996 <small>''(December 4)''</small>
|-
| align="center"| 1
| {{flagicon|Japan}} Hiroaki Tominaga
| 1986 <small>''(February 11)''</small>
|}

==Media coverage==

===Live TV===
In 2003, [[ESPN]] aired the contest for the first time on a [[broadcast delay|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>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/playbook/trending/post/_/id/2178/hot-dog-contest-sticks-with-espn-to-2017|title=Hot Dog Contest sticks with ESPN to 2017|work=ESPN.com|date=May 24, 2012|access-date=July 9, 2013|archive-date=July 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709163435/http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/trending/post/_/id/2178/hot-dog-contest-sticks-with-espn-to-2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2014, ESPN signed an agreement to carry the competition on its networks for 10 years until 2024.<ref name=2014contract>Mandell, Nina. [http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/nathans-hot-dog-eating-competition "Nathan's Hot Dog Contest ensures its future as Fourth of July tradition with new ESPN deal"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707083407/http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/nathans-hot-dog-eating-competition |date=July 7, 2014 }} ''[[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.

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! colspan="4" |Television history
|-
!Year
!Network
!Announcers
!Viewers
|-
|2003
|[[ESPN]]
|
|
|-
|2004
|ESPN
|[[Gary Miller (sportscaster)|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">{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/06/sports/othersports/06sandomir.html?em&ex=1183867200&en=db67d69a2a06d921&ei=5087%0A |title = The Hideous Masters of Gluttony: July 6, 2007 |access-date = July 9, 2010 | work= [[The New York Times]] | author = Sandomir, Richard | date=July 6, 2007}}</ref>
|-
|2006
|ESPN
|Paul Page, Richard Shea
|1.46 million<ref name="NYT 07-06-2007" /><ref>{{cite web |url = http://everythingbutthegame.blogspot.com/2007_07_08_archive.html |title = Everything But the Game: 2007-07-08 |access-date = June 26, 2008 |archive-date = July 8, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110708034622/http://everythingbutthegame.blogspot.com/2007_07_08_archive.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
|-
|2007
|[[ESPN2]]
|Paul Page, Richard Shea
|1.632 million
|-
|2008
|ESPN
|Paul Page, Richard Shea
|over 1 million<ref>{{cite web|author=Meera Dolasia|date=July 3, 2009|title=Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest—A July 4th Tradition Since 1916|url=https://www.dogonews.com/2009/7/3/nathan-s-hot-dog-eating-contest-a-july-4th-tradition-since-1916|work=dogonews.com|access-date=2022-07-07|archive-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709010613/https://www.dogonews.com/2009/7/3/nathan-s-hot-dog-eating-contest-a-july-4th-tradition-since-1916|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|2009
|ESPN
|Paul Page, Richard Shea
|1.34 million<ref name="Potpourri Friday, July 9, 2010">{{cite web |url = http://www.sportsmediawatch.net/2010/07/potpourri_09.html |title = Potpourri Friday, July 9, 2010 |date = July 9, 2010 |access-date = July 9, 2010 |archive-date = July 17, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100717133056/http://www.sportsmediawatch.net/2010/07/potpourri_09.html |url-status = live }}</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
|1.949 million<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2011/07/more-ratings-hot-dog-contest-formula-1-track-field/ |title=More Ratings: Hot Dog Contest, Formula 1, Track & Field |publisher=Sportsmediawatch.com |date=July 6, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2012 |archive-date=March 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324061656/http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2011/07/more-ratings-hot-dog-contest-formula-1-track-field/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|2012
|ESPN
|Paul Page, Richard Shea, Renee Herlocker
|1.299 million<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/07/06/wednesday-cable-ratings-dallas-anger-management-futurama-storage-wars-house-hunters-more/140515/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708225735/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/07/06/wednesday-cable-ratings-dallas-anger-management-futurama-storage-wars-house-hunters-more/140515/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2012|title=Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Dallas' + 'Futurama', 'Storage Wars', 'House Hunters' & More|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|work=TV by the Numbers|date=July 6, 2012|access-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|2013
|ESPN2
|Paul Page, Richard Shea, Renee Herlocker
|1.14 million<ref name="2013-14" />
|-
|2014
|[[ESPNEWS]]
|Paul Page, Richard Shea, [[Cari Champion]]
|402,000;<ref name="2013-14">{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/07/sports-ratings-july-fourth-nathans-hot-dog-espn-nascar-xfinity-daytona-nbcsn-tour-de-france-viewership/|title=Ratings Roundup: Hot Dog Contest, NASCAR Xfinity, Tour de France|author=Paulsen|work=Sports Media Watch|date=July 8, 2015|access-date=July 9, 2015|archive-date=July 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711172650/http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/07/sports-ratings-july-fourth-nathans-hot-dog-espn-nascar-xfinity-daytona-nbcsn-tour-de-france-viewership/|url-status=live}}</ref> 2.8 million (tape delay on ESPN)<ref name="2019ratings" />
|-
|2015
|ESPN2
|Paul Page, Richard Shea, Melanie Collins
|1.129 million<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-100-saturday-cable-originals-7-4-2015.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710044325/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-100-saturday-cable-originals-7-4-2015.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2015|title=SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Saturday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 7.4.2015|last=Metcalf|first=Mitch|website=[[Showbuzzdaily.com]]|date=July 8, 2015|access-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|2016
|[[ESPN3|ESPN.com]]
|Paul Page, Richard Shea, Melanie Collins
|1.3 million (tape delay on ESPN)<ref name="2016-2017">Paulsen. [http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/07/wimbledon-ratings-espn-hot-dog-contest-viewership-us-senior-open-fox/ Ratings Roundup: Wimbledon, Hot Dog Contest, Senior Golf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910201213/http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/07/wimbledon-ratings-espn-hot-dog-contest-viewership-us-senior-open-fox/ |date=September 10, 2018 }}. 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. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180706184646/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/wednesday-cable-ratings-july-4-2018/ "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. [https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2019/07/home-run-derby-ratings-mls-hot-dog-contest/ "Ratings: Home Run Derby, MLS, Hot Dog Contest"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727035139/https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2019/07/home-run-derby-ratings-mls-hot-dog-contest/ |date=July 27, 2019 }}. Sportsmediawatch. July 9, 2019.</ref>
|-
|2020
|ESPN
|[[Mike Golic Jr.]], Richard Shea, Jason Fitz
|966,000<ref name="2020ratings">Metcalf, Mitch. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200708204447/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/skedball-weekly-sports-tv-ratings-6-29-7-5-2020.html "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. [https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2021/07/nascar-road-america-ratings-f1-indycar-hot-dog-contest-mlb/ "Ratings: NASCAR, F1, IndyCar and more"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714030122/https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2021/07/nascar-road-america-ratings-f1-indycar-hot-dog-contest-mlb/ |date=July 14, 2021 }}. ''Sports Media Watch. July 9, 2021.''</ref>
|-
|2022
|ESPNEWS
|[[John Anderson (sportscaster)|John Anderson]], Richard Shea, Jason Fitz
|1.033 million (tape delay on ESPN)<ref name="2022ratings">Metcalf, Mitch. [https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-monday-7-4-2022-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Monday 7.4.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203112918/https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-monday-7-4-2022-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html |date=February 3, 2023 }}. July 6, 2022.</ref><ref name="2022ratings2">Paulsen. [https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2022/07/nhl-draft-ratings-espn-viewership-wnba-pga-tour-mlb-hot-dog-contest/ "Ratings: NHL Draft, WNBA, PGA Tour and more"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722010458/https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2022/07/nhl-draft-ratings-espn-viewership-wnba-pga-tour-mlb-hot-dog-contest/ |date=July 22, 2022 }}. 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. [https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/07/weekly-sports-ratings-gold-cup-nascar-top-charts/ "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 (TV series)|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 {{"'}}Tsunami' is eating contest's top dog again", "couldn't cut the mustard" ([[Associated Press|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>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=rovell/040507|title=Athletes with appetite|work=ESPN.com|first=Darren|last=Rovell|access-date=July 9, 2013|archive-date=November 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105030753/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=rovell/040507|url-status=live}}</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 [[Fasting|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==
{{portal|Food|New York City|Sports}}
*[[Glutton Bowl]]
*[[Krystal Square Off]]
*''[[Horsemen of the Esophagus]]''
*[[Man v. Food]]
*[[Wing Bowl]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}}
*{{Official website}}
*[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/30/nyregion/30hotdog.html Two Dozen Hot Dogs Please, and No, They're Not to Go] by Anthony Ramirez
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060715071153/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/sioncampus/07/05/nathans.hotdog/index.html Sports Illustrated feature on the 2006 contest]
*[https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history-archive/melody-andorfer Interview of Melody Andorfer "Hot Dog Queen" and Winner of the 1972 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest]

{{Competitive eating}}
{{Coney Island}}

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[[Category:Annual events in New York City]]
[[Category:Competitions in the United States]]
[[Category:Competitive eating]]
[[Category:Coney Island]]
[[Category:Culture of Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Independence Day (United States)]]
[[Category:Hot dogs]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 1916]]
[[Category:Sports entertainment]]