Patrick Bertoletti Adam Gray/Getty Images
A new winner has been crowned in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
After devouring 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at New York City’s Coney Island on Thursday, July 4, competitive eater Patrick Bertoletti emerged victorious at the yearly eating extravaganza. The 26-year-old, who hails from Chicago, last participated in the annual event in 2022, chowing down on less than 35 hot dogs at the time.
Thursday’s victory saw Bertoletti breaking his personal record of 55 hot dogs and buns. (On the women’s side, Miki Sudo won her 10th title after eating 51 hots dogs and buns.)
This year, the men’s competition was without competitive eating’s biggest star, Joey Chestnut.
Chestnut, 40, was barred from competing after signing an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, the plant-based meat company.
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Last year, Chestnut — a 16-time Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion — won the contest by eating 62 hot dogs and buns. He set the world record in the event in 2021 when he guzzled 76 dogs and buns.
“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Major League Eating (MLE) announced in a June 11 statement.
MLE said they went to “great lengths” to make something work, but ultimately admitted “it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”
Chestnut responded on social media, saying MLE was looking to “change the rules” about being affiliated with other food brands.
“This is apparently the basis on which I’m being banned,” he wrote via Instagram June 11, “and it doesn’t impact the July 4th contest.”
Chestnut called the decision to bar him from the contest “very disappointing” and that the ruling “will deprive the great fans of the holiday’s usual joy and entertainment.”
“I love competing in that event,” Chestnut continued. “I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title.”
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Instead, Chestnut is taking his talents to Texas’ Fort Bliss on the 4th of July, where he is competing in a 5-minute eating contest against four soldiers. The four-on-one challenge is available to stream on Chestnut’s YouTube page at 5 p.m. ET.
Chestnut will also go head-to-head with longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi in a live eating contest on Netflix over Labor Day weekend.
The special, called Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, will “determine the ultimate hot-dog-eating champion — in which the competitors will fight to eat the most all-beef hot dogs.”
“Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” Chestnut said in a statement. “Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. I know that fans have waited a long time for another chapter of our rivalry and I can’t wait for our massive showdown live on Netflix! It’s time to give the people what they want!”
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef airs September 2 on Netflix.
