Meet the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2026 competitors
With the coveted Mustard Belt on the line, competitors are hoping to relish a victory.
Several top-ranked competitive eaters were certified for the 2026 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Friday at Hudson Yards in New York City.
The annual American tradition is being held Saturday at the Nathan's Famous flagship restaurant at Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
The most notable is world champion Joey Chestnut. He is a 17-time champion and the reigning Mustard Belt holder. His record is a whopping 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, which he set in 2021. Last year, he ate 70.5 hot dogs.
"I'm hungry, and I'm going to dominate," Chestnut said at the weigh-in.
On the women's side, Miki Sudo was at the weigh-in. She is an 11-time champion and the women's world record holder with 51 hot dogs eaten.
In 2025, she ate 33 hot dogs and buns to win the Nathan's contest.
"It's hot, but I'm bringing the heat," she said Friday. "I was born for this."
International competitors will also take the stage, including James Webb of Australia, Radim Dvořáček of the Czech Republic and Max Stanford of England.
List of men competing
- Joey Chestnut from Indianapolis, Indiana
- Patrick Bertoletti from Chicago, Illinois
- James Webb from Sydney, Australia
- Nick Wehry from Tampa, Florida
- Max Stanford from London, England
- Gideon Oji from Stockbridge, Georgia
- Derek Hendrickson from Las Vegas, Nevada
- Radim Dvoracek from Ostrava, Czech Republic
- George Chiger from Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania
- Cameron Meade from Valparaiso, Indiana
- Tanner Gray from Fort Mill, South Carolina
- Jerome Burns from Danbury, Connecticut
- Crazy Legs Conti from New York, New York
- Ynho Choi from Seoul, South Korea
List of women competing
- Miki Sudo from Tampa, Florida
- Domenica Dee from Seattle, Washington
- Tandra Childress from San Francisco, California
- Katie Prettyman from Marysville, Washington
- Rene Rovtar from Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Cherish Brown from Eden, Ohio
- Camille O'Brien from Jeffersonville, New York
- Semora Kludy from Charlotte, Michigan
- Lainey Eaton from San Diego, California
- Michelle Lesco from Tucson, Arizona
