Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest 2024: History, time, competitors, prizes, and all other details

The annual Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest on July 4th features top eaters competing for cash prizes and coveted belts. With defending champions Chestnut and Sudo absent, new winners will be crowned. Tune in to ESPN2 and ESPN3 to see who will emerge victorious.

The decades-old Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest is one of the most highly anticipated events on the Fourth of July. Dating back to 1916, the competition takes place every year outside Nathan's flagship location in Coney Island near Brooklyn, New York. Here's all you need to know about this year's edition: Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest is held every year on Independence Day (Thursday, July 4). The event includes multiple competitions with different categories for men and women. The women's competition starts at 10:45 AM ET on ESPN3, while the men's event starts at 12 PM ET on ESPN2. Additionally, the broadcast from professional eater Geoffrey Esper's dedicated camera starts at 12:30 PM ET on ESPN3. First place winners receive $10,000, while those in second and third place will get $5,000 and $2,500, respectively. Competitors in fourth and fifth place will receive $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. In addition to the monetary prizes, the top male competitor is awarded a mustard-yellow belt, while the top female competitor receives a pink belt. The Nathan's International Hot Dog eating contest is an annual competitive eating competition held at Nathan's Famous' original restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The contest has gained public attention since the mid-2000s due to the stardom of Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut. The defending men's champion is Joey Chestnut , who ate 62 hot dogs in the 2023 contest. The defending women's champion is Miki Sudo , who ate 39.5 hot dogs in 2023. The contest is sanctioned by Major League Eating (MLE), under the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), since 1997. Only entrants currently under contract by MLE can compete. The field of about 20 contestants typically includes past champions, winners of regional qualifying contests, individuals qualifying as wildcards, and those invited by special invitation of the MLE. Contestants stand on a raised platform behind a long table with drinks and Nathan's Famous hot dogs in buns. The contestant who consumes the most hot dogs and buns in ten minutes is declared the winner. In case of a tie, a 5-hot-dog eat-off determines the winner. The competition was dominated by Japanese contestants, particularly Kobayashi, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Kobayashi transformed the competition in 2001 by eating 50 hot dogs, smashing the previous record of 25.5. The contest has since become a spectacle of competitive entertainment, featuring colorful announcers, a public weigh-in, and a grand stage setup. The event has continued to draw large crowds and worldwide media attention, solidifying its place as a Fourth of July tradition. In recent years, the competition has seen changes and controversies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 contest was held without spectators at an indoor location in Brooklyn. Additionally, Joey Chestnut was banned from the 2024 contest due to signing a deal with Impossible Food, leading to his exclusion by Major League Eating. Despite these challenges, the contest continues to captivate audiences around the world.