Yesterday, July 4th, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut ate 69 hot dogs to break his own world record of 68 at this year's 98th Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest. Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas won the women's contest with 36 3/4 hotdogs.
In recent years, an estimated 40,000 fans have made the pilgrimage to the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island to watch the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest in person. The
ESPN telecast of the event drew an audience of over 1 million viewers in 2012. It is anticipated that Nathan's Famous will make a donation of 100,000 Nathan's Famous hot dogs to the Food Bank for New York City, as it does each year.
Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA, maintains his own world record by eating 69 Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs and Buns in 10 minutes. Yesterday was his eighth straight title. Sonya Thomas of Alexandria, VA, defended her title as Female Champion. She consumed 45 Hot Dogs and Buns in 10 minutes last year, setting a new women's world record.
According to archives, the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island, NY since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. Major League Eating, the governing body of all stomach-centric sport, sanctions the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit and ensures the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.
About Nathan's Famous
Nathan's products are currently distributed in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Cayman Islands and six foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. The Nathan's restaurant system currently consists of 302 units, comprised of 297 franchised units and five company-owned units (including one seasonal unit). Additionally, Nathan's Famous hot dogs are sold in over 25,000 retail and foodservice locations. Last year, in total, over 430 million Nathan's hot dogs were sold. For additional information about Nathan's please visit our website at
www.nathansfamous.com.
Photo credit: Erik Pendzich/Rex USA
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