Nathan’s Famous July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest Announces Field Of Competing Eaters

The 2022 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest will return to the iconic Nathan’s Famous flagship restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island after being forced to alternate locations in 2020 and 2021 by the pandemic. The event, an American holiday tradition, will take place on Monday, July 4, 2022, from 11am to 1pm at 1310 Surf Avenue.

World champion Joey Chestnut of Indianapolis, IN, will return to defend his title. The number-one-ranked female eater, Miki Sudo (who last year was nine months pregnant and could not compete), will return in a bid to regain her title.

At last year’s event, Chestnut consumed 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, beating Geoffrey Esper, who finished in second place, and Nick Wehry, who finished third. Michelle Lesco of Tucson, AZ, won the women’s contest last year by eating 30.75 hot dogs and buns. She will defend her title against Sudo, whose personal best is 48.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

A total of 16 men and 13 women will be competing in the 2022 contest. The men’s and women’s contests each offer $20,000 in cash prizes.

Competing in the 2022 men’s contest: Number-one-ranked Joey Chestnut of Westfield, IN Number-two-ranked Geoffrey Esper of Oxford, MA Number-four-ranked Nick Wehry of Tampa, FL Number-seven-ranked Gideon Oji of Morrow, GA Number-ten-ranked James Webb of Sydney Australia Number-eleven-ranked Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, IL Number-thirteen-ranked Steve Hammond of Kirkland, WA Number-fifteen-ranked Adam Moran of Leeds, United Kingdom Number-sixteen-ranked Bartley Weaver of Bowling Green, KY Number-seventeen-ranked George Chiger of Pocono Pines, PA Number-eighteen-ranked Brett Healey of Memphis, TN Number-nineteen-ranked Juan Rodriguez of Seattle, WA Number-twenty-ranked Ronnie Hartman of Buffalo, NY Number-twenty-one-ranked Derek Hendrickson of Las Vegas, NV Number-twenty-two-ranked Pablo Martinez of Visalia, CA Number-twenty-three-ranked Derek Jacobs of Vandalia, OH

Competing in the 2022 women’s contest: Number-three-ranked Miki Sudo of Tampa, FL Number-nine-ranked Michelle Lesco of Tucson, AZ Number-twenty-four-ranked Sarah Rodriguez of Seattle, WA Number-twenty-nine-ranked Larell Marie Mele of Long Pond, PA Number-thirty-two-ranked Katie Prettyman of Marysville, WA Number-thirty-three-ranked Sophia DeVita of Abilene, TX Number-forty-two-ranked Holly Titus of Indianapolis, IN Number-forty-three-ranked Jocelyn Walker of Sherman, TX Number-forty-eight-ranked Kathryn Tesch of Dorchester, WI Julie Goldberg of Queens, NY Rene Rovtar of Basking Ridge, NJ Prudence DiBenedetto of Queens, NY Catie Livermore of New York, New York

“The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is a fundamental aspect of the American experience, and we are thrilled to be back at our Flagship,” said Phil McCann, Vice President of Marketing of Nathan’s Famous. “After two years of anticipation, we look forward to welcoming back our traditional crowd of 35,000 spectators.”

For decades, tens of thousands have made the pilgrimage to Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island to watch the event in-person. Pre-show festivities will begin at 10 am with musical and dance performances. The women’s competition begins at 11 am, while the men’s competition will start at 12:30 pm. An annual feature of the event is the Nathan’s Famous donation of 100,000 hot dogs to the Food Bank for New York City.

“Joey Chestnut is a force from beyond who defies the laws of physics,” said contest host George Shea. “He is freedom made man, and the rock on which he stands is not a rock – it is the United States of America.”

According to Major League Eating archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island, NY, since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sport, sanctions the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit and ensures the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.

ESPN has exclusive live broadcast rights from 10:45am to the conclusion of the event, expected to be at 1:05 pm ET. The women’s competition coverage will begin at 10:45am ET and will be telecast live on ESPN3. The men’s competition coverage will begin at 12:00 pm ET and will be telecast live on ESPNEWS. It will re-air on ESPN2 at 4:00pm. Air times subject to change.

To learn more about Nathan's Famous, visit www.nathansfamous.com

About Nathan's Famous Nathan's is a Russell 2000 Company that currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 17 foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. For additional information about Nathan's, please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.

About Major League Eating Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community is made up of more than 8,000 veteran and rookie gurgitators who travel the nation in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.majorleagueeating.com, www.facebook.com/eatfast or Instagram / Twitter: @eatingcontest.

PRESS CONTACT: Allison O’Donnell, Shea Communications allison@sheacommunications.com 212-627-5766