Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024 winner: Patrick Bertoletti claims victory, while Joey Chestnut triumphs at alternate event
For the first time in his career, Patrick Bertoletti has won the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog eating contest with a total of 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The number is a new personal best for Bertoletti, who took a 10-year hiatus from the event before returning in 2022. Geoffrey Esper came in second with 53 hot dogs and buns.
Miki Sudo became a 10-time champion of the women's event with 51 hot dogs and buns, setting a new women's world record and smashing the competition.
Instead, Chestnut competed in his own event in El Paso, Texas, the "Fort Bliss Meat and Greet." During the five-minute competition, Chestnut handily out-ate four U.S. Army soldiers combined, chowing down 57 hot dogs and buns while his competitors only totaled 49. Chestnut's total was notably only one off of Bertoletti's, despite competing in half the time.
Here's how the hot dog eating contests played out.
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER49 updates
Kari Anderson
JoeyWatch: Joey Chestnut very nearly beats today's Nathan's champion...in half the time
Chestnut's 57 dogs is just one off of Pat Bertoletti, the champion of today's Nathan's Hot Dog Competition, who finished with 58. Even more notable, Chestnut did it in half the time, clearing out those franks in just five minutes, while Bertoletti had 10.
Even without passing the total, Chestnut's point is made: He's still the greatest in the sport, ban or no ban.
Kari Anderson
The competition also has a counter: For every hot dog consumed — seemingly by both parties — Impossible (of the Impossible Burger) will donate $1000 dollars to Operation Homefront. Considering that Joey's ban at the Nathan's competition was caused by a partnership with Impossible, it's a notable move.
With 106 franks in total, Impossible is donating $106,000. Apparently it's more than they expected to pay: The Impossible representative said that they already filled out the giant check with the wrong amount ($100,000), a testament to the sheer number of franks that Joey and his competitors cleared through today.
Kari Anderson
JoeyWatch: Joey Chestnut easily handles the competition
Joey Chestnut is as strong as ever, casually eating 57 hot dogs in five minutes and easily passing his competition. The four soldiers, who ended with a combined 49 hot dogs and buns, slowed down considerably in the final minute and a half, while Chestnut continued with what he said was a record pace.
Chestnut said that he thought he could've hit 60, adding that the most he's done in five minutes before was 55.
Kari Anderson
It's a tighter race than expected, but Joey Chestnut is still outeating these four people combined, with half the time left. Bonkers.
Kari Anderson
JoeyWatch: Joey Chestnut takes on four members of the U.S. Army in a hot dog eating competition
The moment we've been waiting for: Joey Chestnut is now going to take on four members of the U.S. Army in what the emcee describes as the "sprint" of hot dog eating competitions. In the five-minute competition, Chestnut will try to out-eat all four soldiers combined.
Chestnut gets a table to himself, while the other four are crowded on the other side. Plenty of franks and water to go around.
The crowd at Fort Bliss is admittedly small, but there's a small crowd online, with more than 19,000 viewers on Chestnut's YouTube livestream.
Kari Anderson
Well, the amateur pizza competition is over, with specialist Lucas White taking the crown with the most analytical of tiebreakers — a crowd vote, by cheering. White and specialist Chandler Pitts both ended with four slices, though extra pieces of crust made that result a little more questionable. (The emcee clarified — multiple times — that crusts must be eaten as well to count.)
The four-slice count is much lower than even the organizers seemingly expected: No contestant finished off a whole pizza, with several extra pies hanging out in the back. Still, all in good fun.
Kari Anderson
The event has opened, with about the quality you'd expect from an event thrown together in a few weeks. The stage is set up for the pizza eating competition: It looks like six soldiers will be competing, with stacks of extra Sbarro pizzas behind the individual stations.
It's currently 96 degrees in El Paso, with no word on how long the pizzas have been sitting out.
Kari Anderson
More than 12,000 have tuned in to the Chestnut livestream, with the number rising.
Kari Anderson
Chestnut's event has started, but for now the only thing the livestream is offering is a hype video of Chestnut going around El Paso — spending time with folks at the fort and paying a visit to the El Paso Chihuahuas, a San Diego Padres minor league affiliate.
We’re going to take a guess and say @joeyjaws in an El Paso Chihuahuas jersey was not on your 4th of July Bingo card… pic.twitter.com/h13eohKDiq
JoeyWatch: Joey Chestnut's alternate competition is about to begin
Joey Chestnut's Fort Bliss Meat and Greet, an alternative hot dog eating competition in the wake of his Nathan's ban, is set to begin soon. The event will start with a pizza-eating contest among Fort Bliss soldiers, then move on to the main event: a hot dog eat-off between Chestnut and a group of four soldiers. The competition will feature "all-beef hot dogs" — no word yet on the brand.
Kari Anderson
JoeyWatch: Joey Chestnut promotes his own hot dog competition
Minutes before the men's hot dog eating contest kicked off, Joey Chestnut took to social media to wish everyone a happy holiday and promote his own competition. The 16-time champion will be taking on four soldiers at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, with the goal of out-eating all four soldiers combined. The competition will raise money for military families.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! I'm getting ready to eat hot dogs against soldiers at Fort Bliss Army base!! Live stream starts at 5pm ET!https://t.co/rFc85ymZR0
Chicago's Patrick Bertoletti receives the Mustard Belt after consuming 58 hot dogs and buns, winning the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Liz Roscher
'Always the bridesmaid' no more
Bertoletti's key to taking the belt today? Hot water and relentlessness. "I wasn't going to stop eating until the job was done," he said.
"I was able to unlock something that I don't know where it came from, but I'm not complaining," Bertoletti added in a post-contest interview.
Coming into today, Bertoletti was the No. 9 ranked eater in the world. But starting tomorrow, that will change.
Liz Roscher
It's over! Pat Bertoletti is the champ!
James Webb of Australia comes in third place with 52 dogs and buns consumed.
Geoffrey Esper lands in second place with 53 dogs and buns consumed.
But Chicago's Pat Bertoletti has done it! The results are official! With 58 dogs and buns consumed, a personal best, he has won the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest!
We're still waiting for the official results, but if it holds, it'll be Bertoletti as the winner.
Liz Roscher
Bertoletti has the late lead!
One minute left! Bertoletti has reached 50 dogs and he has a consistent three-dog lead!
Liz Roscher
Bertoletti has jumped out to a two-dog lead and continues to hold that. His cheeks are stuffed full like a chipmunk and he is in the zone.
Liz Roscher
With four minutes left Wehry has slowed down considerably. Webb and Bertoletti have been knotted at the top for the last minute, matching each other dog for dog. But Esper is making a late play!
Liz Roscher
It's still anyone's contest...
With seven minutes remaining, everyone is still bunched up. No one has staked out a clear lead yet, but Bertoletti, Webb, Whery, Esper, and Yamamoto have consistently been in the top five. The winner will be one of them.
Kari Anderson
The top competitors are going to for the "dunk-and-shove" method, where you dump the dogs — bun and all — into liquid before shoveling into your mouth. Most use water, but Esper, the world No. 2, is seemingly using a violently red beverage (strawberry lemonade? cherry soda? red Gatorade?) to help facilitate his eating.
Liz Roscher
Ten minutes starts now!
We're off! Wehry has an early lead, with Bertoletti and Webb chasing close behind.
Liz Roscher
Another great one from George Shea, about Nick Wehry.
"And so shall history hear the echoes of itself in the triumphs of this man. 50 hard boiled eggs in three minutes and four seconds, two gallons of baby food, 48 hot dogs and buns..."
Liz Roscher
George Shea is at the mic making his inimitable intros for the men's competitors. Here's a sample.
"The child of pain, who lays in the blood soaked bed of roses of the damned ... a man so evil they put him in prison in hell. Hell prison!"
Kari Anderson
While the women's competition had a number of amateurs alongside pros like Miki Sudo, this men's contest has some high-ranked competitors, with previous big wins under their belts and top rankings in their respective countries. Who will break through to take the title?
Kari Anderson
ESPN is doing a tribute to the absent Joey Chestnut, comparing him to Mozart and Picasso, as well as Babe Ruth and Warren Buffett (?).
Convoluted comparisons aside, competing without Chestnut is a tough blow for Nathan's, but opens up the field for a new winner to take the mustard belt. Geoffrey Esper, the No. 2 in Major League Eating's rankings, has a chance to take the title, while Australian James Webb, the No. 5, could also pull out a victory.
Liz Roscher
Power eating's power couple
Miki Sudo, the 2024 women's champ and new women's record holder, is not the only one in her family involved in competitive eating. She's half of a power-eating power couple with world No. 4 Nicholas Wehry, who has a chance to win it all with Joey Chestnut out of the picture.
They could be the first husband and wife to be reigning champions of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
When downing dozens of hot dogs leads to true love‼️Meet the first couple of the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest who could win it all: pic.twitter.com/l83ImnnoRL
Eric "Badlands" Booker polishes off a gallon of lemonade in 21 seconds to set a new world record in the lemonade chug. The other competitors don't even come close. Legendary.
We're just minutes away from the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest!
With 16-time champ Joey Chestnut banned, the main question is this: will any of these competitors be able match Miki Sudo's 51 dogs and buns, the mark she set in the women's competition earlier today?
Liz Roscher
Coney Island weather update
The 2023 main event was plagued by rain and lightning, and only started after a delay. Will the 2024 contest suffer the same fate?
It doesn't appear so. Forecasts show cloudy skies but no rain over Coney Island for the next few hours. Let the eating commence!
Kari Anderson
Need a palate cleanser before the men's competition? Here's a look from the lemonade-chugging contest earlier this morning.
Miki Sudo wins the women's title with a record-breaking 51 hot dogs at Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Sudo was emotional in her post-belt interview. Making it to 50 dogs and buns has been a longtime goal of hers, and now she's back to full strength after taking time off not long ago to give birth to her son (which she shares with fiancé Nicholas Wehry, who is the No. 4 ranked eater in the world and competing in the men's competition).
She thanked her family and friends, including those at dental school where she's currently training to be a hygienist, but she singled out second-place finisher Ebihara, thanking her for being such a fierce competitor and giving her the motivation to come out so strong.
Kari Anderson
Sudo's 51 franks not only marks a new women's record, but could set up a unique situation where a women's champion is up there with the men. With Chestnut — who typically puts up 70-dog performances — gone, the next-highest competitors are likely to put up totals that aren't much higher than Sudo's. It's an incredibly impressive performance from the 10-time champ.
Kari Anderson
Ebihara looks emotional after coming in second, but beats her record from last year's contest. Not bad for someone who ate her first-ever hot dog just last year.
Liz Roscher
The results are official, Miki Sudo sets a new women's record!
Michelle Lesco came in third with 23.5 hot dogs and buns.
Mayoi Ebihara finished second with 37 hot dogs and buns.
Miki Sudo, the Empress of Eating, finished in first with 51 hot dogs and buns, a women's record!
A NEW WOMEN'S RECORD‼️
Miki Sudo downs 51 hot dogs to claim her 10th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest 🌭 pic.twitter.com/vyzX4TJ9oN
Sudo's experience is giving her the edge she needs. She's opened up a 12-dog gap on Ebihara, who is in only her second Nathan's contest.
Will Sudo go past the magical 50-dog threshold? Less than a minute left!
Kari Anderson
Both Sudo and Ebihara are going for a mix of methods, separating the dogs and buns to chow down on the dogs, but dunking the buns in water. Sudo is going two at a time with the wieners and then splitting the soggy buns into pieces. It's working well for her so far — she's at 38 hot dogs with three minutes left. Ebihara is at 29.
Liz Roscher
Miki Sudo employs a shoulder wipe, which is her own tic that the announcers say she uses almost like a distraction while she's eating.
Sudo remains in the lead with five minutes left, Ebihara is close on her heels at 25.
Liz Roscher
The women's contest is on!
The 10 minutes has started.
With 7:30 left, Miki Sudo is in the lead with 14 while Mayori Ebihara is in second with 12.
Kari Anderson
Sudo has already gulped down six dogs in just a minute, but Ebihara is close behind. With eight minutes left, Sudo is at 12 and Ebihara is at 10 — and closing the gap.
Liz Roscher
Mayoi Ebihara is 5-foot-1 and has eaten 220 pieces of sushi in one sitting. She came close to winning the 2023 contest, which was her first one ever.
WCW and today it’s the amazing @ebi_myochan ! Miss Mayoi Ebihara she ate 33.5 HDB at the 2024 @NathansFranks Hot Dog Eating Contest her first try! Putting not just the women’s stage, but all of MLE on notice. Doing so while being the picture of humility, respect and grace. pic.twitter.com/YMzNVIg8eP
It's a beautiful day on Coney Island, 78 degrees with a touch of humidity, but with enough clouds to keep some of the heat off the eaters. As a result, it's a full crowd ready to watch the women's competition take place.
— Major League Eating (@eatingcontest) July 4, 2024
Liz Roscher
Larell Marie Mele is a 60-year-old competitive eater and was given an *extraordinary* intro. She's one to watch.
Kari Anderson
Each contestant has a chance to offer fun facts about themselves. Bragging rights range from "once ate a whole Costco cake by herself" to "ate 200 oysters but stopped when she ran out of money"
Liz Roscher
The intros for the women's contest have begun.
"Her body is a temple, not for the faithful, but for mac and cheese."
Liz Roscher
Will Miki Sudo win her 10th contest?
Miki Sudo, the queen of competitive eating, could win her 10th pink belt at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
Miki Sudo is a legend in the competitive eating community, ranked No. 3 in the world overall and the No. 1 woman. She has won nine Pink Belts, the prize for the women's contest, and is in line to win her 10th. That would be a record.
Liz Roscher
How the eaters get the dogs down
These three competitors from the 2023 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest (including winner Joey Chestnut in the center) appear to be employing the dunk and shove method of eating hot dogs. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
How do competitive eaters eat the full hot dogs, which includes the bun? There are two methods, and while it's not pretty, there's science behind both.
Dunk and shove: That's just what it sounds like. Everything needs to be wet to prevent the esophagus from constricting. With the bun wet as well as the dog, the food can just slide down once it's in the mouth.
Divide and conquer: The bun and hot dog are separated so the dog, which is already aerodynamic, can be easily scarfed. The bun is eaten next once it's been dunked (as in the first method).
Liz Roscher
Joey Chestnut, five-time reigning champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, has been banned from the contest this year. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Of course we won't be forgetting about one of the patron saints of competitive eating and the longtime face of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, one Mr. Joey Chestnut. The 16-time reigning champ is banned this year due to his endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, the maker of plant-based meat alternatives (like hot dogs). Read the full story on Chestnut's ban here.
But just like birds know when it's time to fly south for the winter, Chestnut's soul cries out for him to eat a truly alarming amount of hot dogs on Independence Day. He'll be holding his own contest in Fort Bliss, Texas, where he'll be competing against soldiers to see who can eat the most dogs and buns in five minutes (half the time of the Nathan's contest).
That will be live streamed on Chestnut's YouTube channel at 5:00 p.m. ET, and you'll be able to catch the blow-by-blow on this live blog later today.
Liz Roscher
Welcome to the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest!
Happy 4th and welcome to the live blog for the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest! A tradition as American as baseball, apple pie, and Thanksgiving — another American holiday centered on stuffing your face.
The women's competition kicks off at 10:45 followed by the men's contest at noon. Over the next 3-4 hours, check back here for details on the competitors and clips (gulp) from previous contests, as well as fun tidbits from the history of the event.
But when the whistles blow, we'll be giving you hotdog-to-hotdog coverage of both events. Stay tuned, it's going to be a fun afternoon.
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