Joey Chestnut wins 18th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
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The legend of Joey Chestnut continues.
Chestnut became the 18-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest champion after once again topping the competition, this time beating 66 hot dogs and buns at Coney Island.
It’s now the 10th consecutive year that Chestnut has won the annual Fourth of July contest; It was banned from the 2024 event due to sponsorship issues.
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Joey Chestnut (left) consumes a hot dog during the 2026 Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Anna Connors)
Chestnut didn’t get away early as he went toe-to-toe with 2024 champion Patrick Bertoletti and James Webb throughout the first 90 seconds.
However, after this time passed, Chestnut began to drift away from the competition. Over the course of three minutes, Chestnut was at 28, Webb at 22 and Bertoletti at 21. But by the halfway point, Chestnut had eaten 42 hot dogs and was ahead by 10 hot dogs.
Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, winners of the 2026 Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest, claimed their championship belts at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Anna Connors)
JOEY CHESTNUT REVEALS FOODS HE WILL NOT EAT AT COMPETITIONS WHILE VISITING MINOR LEAGUE STADIUMS FOR LOCAL TASTES
The Chestnut remained on record pace (76) with four minutes left, but like all eating contests, fatigue and full stomachs went hand-in-hand with a nearly triple-digit fever. Chestnut reached 60 points with 60 seconds left and officials later tallied 66 of them.
He admitted he knew he wouldn’t be able to take the record early but stayed calm to take home the victory.
Chestnut competed in the event while serving a 180-day probation sentence after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from drunkenly slapping a man at a bar in Indiana earlier this year. He was given permission to travel to New York for the event.
Joey Chestnut won the men’s competition at the Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York. (Adam Gray/Getty Images, File)
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Miki Sudo won the women’s competition earlier in the day with 39 dogs and buns; He won each of the 12 events he competed in for the first time in 2014.
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