Nathan's hot dog eating contest champs Chestnut, Sudo win again in 2026

The Nathan’s hot dog eating champions retained their crowns Saturday as both Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo continued their impressive, digestive runs at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. 

What they're saying:

"It's a dream, it's electric, there's no place better on Earth," Chestnut said in an interview right after defeating 13 competitors from all over the world, including the Czech Republic, Australia, and South Korea. 

For Sudo, her route to a 12th straight women’s title came with a big boost from her fans "I just said I would have to rely on muscle memory, and the crowd really carried me through to another belt today," she said.

By the numbers:

Chestnut, 42, shoveled down 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes, far outpacing runner-up Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who managed to down 50 of them. With Saturday’s win, Chestnut has now brought home the Mustard Belt 18 times in 21 tries. 

Sudo’s Mustard Belt is not yellow or even brown. Instead, it’s pink and she now has an even dozen of them. Sudo, 40, tallied 38.75 hot dogs to claim her 12th straight win. 

The backstory:

Neither Chestnut nor Sudo came close to topping their own personal bests, though. Chestnut once chomped down 76 of them during a contest. Sudo, meanwhile, gulped down 51 hot dogs two years ago.

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Heatwave Hot Dogs

The heat may have had something to do with Chestnut and Sudo not coming close to their bests. Even the ESPN announcers noted the effects of the heatwave gripping New York City right now. They pointed out that 90-degree temperatures in Brooklyn made the day tougher and explained that all the humidity changed the consistency of the buns.

Still, though, Chestnut walked away disappointed that he did not beat his best, telling an interviewer, "Dang, I got so much room left."

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