Joey Chestnut said before the 2020 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest that the unique setup due to the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a record-breaking performance on July 4th, and he was right.
With the contest moved away from the typically sweltering stage at Coney Island and into an air conditioned room, Chestnut got off to an unbelievably fast start, but slowed in the final few minutes. With a late surge in the final seconds, Chestnut finished with 75 hot dogs and buns after 10 minutes, setting a new world record. Chestnut previously set the mark of 74 in 2018.
The victory is Chestnut’s 13th career hot dog title, and fifth consecutive win. Chestnut said in an interview that he “hit a wall” after six minutes and missed the crowd urging him on, but still managed to set a record.
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo dominated the field once again to win her seventh consecutive title.
