Who Won The 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Set in Brooklyn's Coney Island, Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual tradition — and there's arguably nothing more American than watching professional eaters chow them down, buns and all, for sport. But this year's competition was set to be particularly interesting. After 16-time champion and record holder Joey Chestnut shocked the competitive eating world by signing a deal with Impossible Foods — a brand that makes plant-based hot dogs — he was disqualified from the contest (although he is set to be competing against soldiers in Fort Bliss, Texas tonight to help raise funds for the military).
This year's women's competition already broke records, with the defending champion and nine-time winner Miki Sudo consuming 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes — beating her personal best and the record she set for women in 2023. The Floridian defeated 14 competitors from all across the globe including Mayoi Ebihara of Japan who came in second, consuming 37 hot dogs. Sudo may have been the clear favorite, but without an obvious front-runner in the men's division, Americans were left sitting on the edge of their seats.
The 2024 men's competitors included names that have been historically overshadowed at Coney Island, including high-ranked Major League Eaters Geoffery Esper and Nicholas Wehry, as well as competitive eating leaders from Australia and Britain. This year could've been any one of theirs, but in the end, after Wehry started off with an early lead with Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago and James Webb of Australia trailing closely behind, Bertoletti came out on top.
Patrick Bertoletti is the first new belt holder since 2015
With Joey Chestnut out of the picture, the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest felt different than years prior. For the first time since 2015, there was no clear front runner — giving any one of the other competitors a chance to take home the Mustard Belt and the $10,000 prize award, not to mention the income from the potential future brand deals they're sure to earn based on their performance.
Three minutes in, the race could've been anybody's, with the top competitors opting for what's commonly referred to as the "dunk and shove" water method — although Esper of Massachusetts drew attention for his use of a mysterious red beverage. The top five remained consistent throughout the 10-minute race, with Wehry slowing down significantly in the final four minutes. The final call was a close one between Webb and Bertoletti, who held a two-dog lead in the last two minutes. With cheeks full like a chipmunk, Bertoletti grew that lead — eventually winning the competition with a total of 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes. While he may not have come close to Joey Chestnut's record of 76 hot dogs, it's a significant win for Bertoletti's career and the men's competition as a whole.