Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest: Joey Chestnut, Miki Sudo and a chasing field

New York Times

03-07-2025

When it comes to competitive eating, there's Joey Chestnut … and there's everybody else.
The annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest takes place Friday at Brooklyn's Coney Island, and a 16-time champion returns to the scene to remind the world that he's still the greatest of all time. Chestnut is back in the competition following a 2024 ban, having signed a deal that endorsed plant-based hot dogs.
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Chestnut won his first Nathan's hot dog eating championship — and the coveted Mustard Belt — in 2007.
Since then, he was champion every year through 2014, lost to Matt Stonie in 2015, then won the contests from 2016 to 2023. Chestnut is ranked No. 1 in the Major League Eating rankings and holds 55 world eating records, from hot dogs (83 in 10 minutes during a Netflix-streamed battle against another eating champion, Takeru Kobayashi) and hard-boiled eggs (141 in eight minutes) to traditional tacos (126 in eight minutes), Twinkies (121 in six minutes) and hamburgers (103 Krystal burgers in eight minutes).
I'm thrilled to be returning to the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. This event means the world to me. It's a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life. (1/3)
— Joey Chestnut (@joeyjaws) June 16, 2025
Chestnut is a heavy favorite to win the Nathan's event Friday. However, that doesn't mean an upset can't happen (see 2015 with Stonie). Chestnut will have a handful of contenders aiming to remove him from the proverbial men's division throne. And along with Chestnut, there are the competitors who make up the women's division, particularly the equally dominant Miki Sudo, a 10-time Nathan's champion.
As we get ready for Friday, here are 10 hot dog competitors not named Joey Chestnut — including a happy couple — to watch during the Nathan's event. Each bio includes the participant's Major League Eating ranking. All bios are listed in alphabetical order.
(Note: Major League Eating ranks the top 50 men and women together.)
Hometown: Chicago
MLE rank: 2
What to know: Nicknamed 'Deep Dish,' Bertoletti won the Chestnut-less Nathan's competition last year by eating 58 hot dogs. He holds numerous eating world records, including jalapeño peppers (275 in eight minutes) and doughnuts (47 glazed and cream-filled in five minutes). The 40-year-old, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, will view Friday as an opportunity to prove he belongs among the Mount Rushmore of eaters.
Hometown: Oxford, Mass.
MLE rank: 3
What to know: Esper ate 53 hot dogs at last year's competition. He was considered a favorite with Chestnut out of the picture, as he has three runner-up finishes behind Chestnut. Esper has two different world records in eating chicken wings (281 Buffalo wings in 12 minutes and 281 Hooters wings in 10 minutes), and he has eaten 11 corn dogs in three minutes. A random fact: Esper has a master's degree in physics from Clark University in Worcester, Mass.
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Hometown: Las Vegas
MLE rank: 8
What to know: Hendrickson devoured 30 hot dogs and finished 10th in last year's men's competition, but he put down a personal-best 33 1/2 in the Pleasanton, Calif., qualifier last month. Nicknamed 'Heavy D,' Hendrickson will make his sixth appearance in the event. Hendrickson will be viewed as a major underdog, but this is what he wants as he prepares for the Coney Island experience.
Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.
MLE rank: 9
What to know: Lesco, the 2021 Nathan's champion, is an interesting individual with a unique nickname. 'Cardboard Shell' stems from an old MySpace page. Aside from her ability to put food down, she was named Major League Eating's Humanitarian of the Year for her work with youth around Arizona. Last year, Lesco finished third in the Nathan's event after eating 23 1/2 hot dogs. In 2021, she ate 30 3/4 hot dogs.
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Hometown: Long Pond, Pa.
MLE rank: 21
What to know: If you have a nickname like 'The Real Deal,' you have to back it up with your actions. The 55-year-old Mele once ate 21 1/2 hot dogs in 2012. She ate 14 1/2 hot dogs to take fourth in the women's division of the Nathan's event last year. Mele qualified for this year's event by winning the Lake Compounce qualifier in Bristol, Conn., in May.
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Hometown: Morrow, Ga.
MLE rank: 7
What to know: The first thing people notice about Oji is his height. At 6 foot 9 and 225 pounds, he is a former college basketball player who competed at center for two seasons at Division II Clayton State. Oji ate 33 Nathan's hot dogs last year to finish eighth in the men's division, but he also has a fourth-place finish after eating 38 in 2016. Oji has world eating records with baked beans (10 pounds, 1 minute, 45 seconds) and kale (25 1/2 16-ounce bowls in eight minutes).
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Hometown: Marysville, Wash.
MLE rank: 23
What to know: Prettyman has built her résumé as a civic officer working for the Northwest Region of the Red Cross. She's also made her presence known on the eating circuit. As a rookie in 2018, she ate 11 hot dogs. During the Nathan's competition last year, she ate 12 to finish in sixth place in the women's division. She is one of only five women ranked in the MLE top 25.
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
MLE rank: 5
What to know: Sudo set a new women's record last year with 51 hot dogs eaten. Had she competed against the men, she would have finished in fourth place behind Bertoletti (58), Esper (53) and James Webb (52). Sudo, who is married to another competitor, Nick Wehry, is a 10-time champion (2014-20, 2022-24; she skipped 2021 as she and Wehry were expecting their first child) and is a heavy favorite to repeat Friday. Sudo entered competitive eating in 2013 and has been an absolute force ever since. Some would argue that if Chestnut weren't around, Sudo might be considered the GOAT.
Congrats to James Webb who will become the first Aussie to compete at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th 👏🌭👏🌭 pic.twitter.com/HwaVYXemsL
— Roasted Sports (@Roasted_Sports_) June 21, 2022
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
MLE rank: 4
What to know: Once a semi-pro soccer player, Webb has discovered a new passion in competitive eating and is a social media influencer. He is known as 'JWebby Can Eat,' and as the top-ranked eater in Australia, the nickname holds true. Webb ate 52 hot dogs and finished third in last year's Nathan's event. He also holds world records for eating doughnut holes (350 in eight minutes), pistachios (338 in eight minutes) and most recently, sausage (53 2 1/2-ounce Texas sausages in 10 minutes).
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Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
MLE rank: 6
What to know: Ranked right behind his wife, Sudo, in the eating rankings, Wehry is a physical specimen. He also happens to be a world record holder, having eaten 50 hard-boiled eggs in 3 minutes, 4 seconds. Wehry was a top-five finisher in last year's Nathan's competition, finishing with 46 3/4 hot dogs eaten. His most noticeable accomplishment? Wehry once competed in an eating contest against a grizzly bear. Wehry and Sudo are collectively known as 'The Hungry Couple.'
(Top photo of Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo: Yuki Iwamura / AFP via Getty Images)