Friday on Coney Island, order was restored in the universe.
After a one-year hiatus from the event, Joey Chestnut captured his 17th career Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, eating 70 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes on his way to yet another Mustard Belt.
The 41-year-old has now won each of his last nine appearances in the annual Fourth of July event, with his last loss coming in 2015 to Matt Stonie, who ate 62 hot dogs to Chestnut’s 60 that year. That loss in 2015 is Chestnut’s lone loss in the event since first taking the crown from six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi in 2007.
With Chestnut unable to participate in last year’s event due to a sponsorship deal with a competing hot dog brand, last year’s Mustard Belt went to Patrick Bertoletti, who only needed 58 hot dogs to get his first career win on Major League Eating’s biggest stage.
But with the undisputed G.O.A.T. back in this year’s field, a number like that wasn’t going to stand a chance.
“Oh man, it was exciting,” Chestnut said on stage after the win. “I love being here, and man - I wish I had ate a couple more, I’m sorry guys. But I’ll be back next year.”
In lieu of competing in last year’s contest on Coney Island, Chestnut competed in a special Netflix live event on Labor Day, where he went head-to-head with his old rival Kobayashi. The broadcast was called “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” and America’s greatest living athlete ate an unprecedented 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes, breaking his own personal record of 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes set on the Nathan’s stage back in 2021.
But on Friday, all it took was 70 ½ hot dogs to reclaim his rightful throne as the world’s greatest glizzy guzzler.
“Oh my gosh, I was nervous,” said Chestnut in his post-event interview about his return performance. “First couple hot dogs, I was fumbling a little bit, but I found a pretty good rhythm. My goal was 70 to 77. I really wanted a little bit more, but there’s next year and I’m just happy I’m here. Happy Fourth of July.”
Prior to Chestnut’s victory, the undisputed G.O.A.T. of the women’s division added another win to her collection as well, as Miki Sudo won her 11th career “pink belt” by downing 33 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Sudo has won 11 of the last 12 pink belts, as she missed the 2021 competition due to her pregnancy.
With Chestnut and Sudo both still at the top of their game, we are truly living in the golden age of competitive eating.
Don’t take this for granted, folks.
Here’s a list of every winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which has taken place almost every year on Coney Island in New York City since 1967:
1967 - Walter Paul, 17 hot dogs in 60 minutes
1972 - Jason Schechter, 14 hot dogs in 3 ½ minutes (Memorial Day)
1972 - Melody Andorfer, 12 hot dogs in 5 minutes (Labor Day)
1974 - John Connolly, 9 hot dogs in 2 ½ minutes (Coney Island Opening Day)
1974 - Roberto Muriel, 10 hot dogs in 3 ½ minutes (July 4th)
1974 - Walter Paul and Paul Sirop, Details Unknown (Labor Day)
1975 - Sharlene Smith, 8 ½ hot dogs in 3 ½ minutes with a 1 minute break (Women’s Division, Memorial Day)
1975 - Lonnie Brown, 8 hot dogs in 3 ½ minutes with a 1 minute break (Men’s Division, Memorial Day)
1978 - Manel Hollenback and Kevin Sinclair, 10 hot dogs in 6 ½ minutes (Memorial Day)
1979 - Luther Frazier and Jim Mattner, 10 hot dogs in 10 minutes
1980 - Joe Baldini and Paul Siederman, 9 ¾ hot dogs in 10 minutes
1981 - Thomas DeBerry, 11 hot dogs in 5 minutes
1982 - Steven Abrams, “11+” hot dogs in 10 minutes (July 5th)
1983 - Emil Gomez, 10 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes
1984 - Birgit Felden, 9 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes
1985 - Oscar Rodriguez, 11 ¾ hot dogs in 12 minutes
1986 - Mark Heller, 15 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes
1987 - Don Wolfman, 13 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes
1988 - Jay Green, 10 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1989 - Jay Green, 15 ½ hot dogs in 12 minutes
1990 - Mike DeVito and Jay Green, 15 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1991 - Frankie Dellarosa, 21 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1992 - Frankie Dellarosa, 19 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1993 - Mike DeVito, 17 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1994 - Mike DeVito, 20 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1995 - Ed Krachie, 19 ½ hot dogs in 12 minutes
1996 - Ed Krachie, 22 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1997 - Hirofumi Nakajima, 24 ½ hot dogs in 12 minutes
1998 - Hirofumi Nakajima, 19 hot dogs in 12 minutes
1999 - Steve Keiner, 21 ½ hot dogs in 12 minutes
2000 - Kazutoyo Arai, 25 ⅛ hot dogs in 12 minutes
2001 - Takeru Kobayashi, 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes
2002 - Takeru Kobayashi, 50 ½ hot dogs in 12 minutes
2003 - Takeru Kobayashi, 44 ½ hot dogs in 12 minutes
2004 - Takeru Kobayashi, 53 ½ hot dogs in 12 minutes
2005 - Takeru Kobayashi, 49 hot dogs in 12 minutes
2006 - Takeru Kobayashi, 53 ¾ hot dogs in 12 minutes
2007 - Joey Chestnut, 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes
2008 - Joey Chestnut, 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes (beat Kobayashi in untimed “eat-off” of 5 hot dogs)
2009 - Joey Chestnut, 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes
2010 - Joey Chestnut, 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes
2011 - Joey Chestnut, 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2011 - Sonya Thomas, 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2012 - Joey Chestnut, 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2012 - Sonya Thomas, 45 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2013 - Joey Chestnut, 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2013 - Sonya Thomas, 36 ¾ hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2014 - Joey Chestnut, 61 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2014 - Miki Sudo, 34 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2015 - Matt Stonie, 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2015 - Miki Sudo, 38 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2016 - Joey Chestnut, 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2016 - Miki Sudo, 38 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2017 - Joey Chestnut, 72 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2017 - Miki Sudo, 41 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2018 - Joey Chestnut, 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2018 - Miki Sudo, 37 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2019 - Joey Chestnut, 71 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2019 - Miki Sudo, 31 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2020 - Joey Chestnut, 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2020 - Miki Sudo, 48 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2021 - Joey Chestnut, 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2021 - Michelle Lesco, 30 ¾ hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2022 - Joey Chestnut, 63 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2022 - Miki Sudo, 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2023 - Joey Chestnut, 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2023 - Miki Sudo, 39 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2024 - Patrick Bertoletti, 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2024 - Miki Sudo, 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)
2025 - Joey Chestnut, 70 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes (Men’s Division)
2025 - Miki Sudo, 33 hot dogs in 10 minutes (Women’s Division)