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.
The annual American tradition is being held Saturday at the Nathan's Famous flagship restaurant at Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Competitors have to eat as many hot dogs and buns as they can in 10 minutes.
The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
The weigh-in
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 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 undefeated 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.
Heating up the hot dog eating contest
Beyond the usual pressures, this year's contest will have more eyes on it with a simulcast on America's 250th birthday.
"The hot dog contest gonna be seen by more eyes and it's going to be loved by more people, especially because it's America 250. You gotta do it," competitive eater Eric "Badlands" Booker said.
Things are also expected to heat up weather-wise.
"I'm not gonna spend time worrying about the weather, but I'm just gonna go out there and just do my best," Chestnut said.
"All I can do is show up in the best shape that I can," Sudo said. "Because there are so many factors that I can't control, whether it be the weather, the humidity, the hot dogs."
Even George Shea, the legendary host of the competition for 35 years, will have to adjust.
"I am going to perhaps take my sport jacket off during the contest and only wear it during the introductions," he said. "That will be my break from tradition."
But it looks like his iconic boater hat will stay on.
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
