39-year-old competitive eater Patrick Bertoletti was crowned the winner of the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which took place at New York City’s Coney Island on Thursday, July 4. Bertoletti, who hails from Chicago, devoured 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at the yearly eating extravaganza — breaking his personal record of 55 hot dogs and buns. The new champion last participated in the annual event in 2022, eating only 35 hot dogs at the time.
In the women’s division, reigning champion Miki Sudo, currently ranked the No. 1 competitive female eater, earned her 10th winning title at the contest. Sudo consumed a record-breaking 51 hot dugs and buns; according to ESPN, she became the only women to eat more than 50 franks, passing her personal (and world) record of 48.5 hot dogs, which she set in 2020.
This year competition was preceded by controversy and took place without competitive eating’s biggest star, Joey Chestnut, 40, who was barred from competing after signing an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, a plant-based meat company. Major League Eating (MLE) announced in a June 11 statement: “We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.” MLE added that they went to “great lengths” to make something work, but ultimately admitted “it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”
Chestnut is a 16-time Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, and set the world record in the event in 2021 when he consumed 76 dogs and buns. Last year’s reigning champion ate 62 hot dogs and buns in 2023. Chestnut said on social media at the time that MLE was looking to “change the rules” about being affiliated with other food brands, writing in an Instagram post on June 11: “I was very disappointed to learn from the media today that after nearly 20 years I am banned from the Nathan’s 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. I love competing in that event, I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title * To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathan’s and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with. This is apparently the basis on which I’m being banned, and it doesn’t impact the July 4th contest * Sadly, this is the decision Nathan’s and Major League Eating are making and it will deprive the great fans of the holiday’s usual joy and entertainment. To my fans, I love you and appreciate you. Rest assured that you’ll see me eat again soon. Stay tuned and STAY HUNGRY!”
Editorial credit: dade72 / Shutterstock.com
