Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo Win Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest

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Clare Hayden, clare@sheacommunications.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sudo retains title with 38 ¾ Hot Dogs, Chestnut regains title with 66 Hot Dogs

Contest Images, Footage Linked Here
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JERICHO, N.Y., July 4, 2026 – Thousands of fans gathered at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island today to watch the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship. The annual contest, held at Nathan’s Famous flagship restaurant, delivered another unforgettable chapter in the legacy of America’s most iconic Fourth of July tradition.

Joey Chestnut claimed the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt by eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, topping a competitive field that included #2-ranked Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, Illinois; #3-ranked Geoffrey Esper of Oxford, Massachusetts; #4-ranked James Webb of Sydney, Australia; #8-ranked Max Stanford of London, England; and #12-ranked Radim Dvoracek of Ostrava, Czech Republic. The win marked his 18th victory in the competition’s history.

Miki Sudo won the women’s competition, devouring 38 ¾ hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes amid a field that included 2021 champion Michelle Lesco of Tucson, Arizona; Domenica Dee; Tandra Childress; Katie Prettyman; and Larell Marie Mele of Long Pond, Pennsylvania. This is the 12th time she has claimed the Mustard Yellow Belt.

Pre-show festivities began at 10:00 a.m., featuring live performances from musical and dance acts. The women’s competition kicked off at 11:00 a.m., followed by the men’s contest at 12:30 p.m. In the spirit of tradition and community, Nathan’s Famous made its annual donation of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to the Food Bank for New York City.
“The contest was a celebration of community, competition and country, with a dramatic finish that will stand in the history of July 4,” said Phil McCann, Vice President of Marketing at Nathan’s Famous. “The Nathan’s Famous Coney Island flagship is the patriotic epicenter of the nation on July 4th.”

2026 Men’s Contest Results:
#1 Joey Chestnut – Westfield, IN with 66 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes
#2 Patrick Bertoletti - Chicago, IL with 51 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes
#3 James Webb - Sydney, Australia with 41 ½ Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes
Nicholas Wehry - Tampa, FL - with 45 HDB
Max Stanford - London, England - with 42 ½ HDB
Geoffrey Esper - Oxford, MA - with 40 ½ HDB
Cameron Meade - Valparaiso, IN - with 35 ½ HDB
Gideon Oji - Morrow, GA - with 30 HDB
Derek Hendrickson - Las Vegas, NV - with 30 HDB
Radim Dvorcek - Ostrava, Czech Republic - with 28 HDB
Jerome Burns - Danbury, CT - with 27 HDB
George Chiger - Pocono Pines, PA - with 26 HDB
Yunho Choi - Seoul, South Korea - with 22 HDB
Tanner Gray - Fort MIll, SC - with 18 ¾ HDB
Crazy Legs Conti - New York, NY - with 10 ½ HDB

2026 Women’s Contest Results:
#1 Miki Sudo – Tampa, FL (defending champion) - with 38 ¾ Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes
#2 Michelle Lesco – Tucson, AZ - with 22 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes
#3 Domenica Dee – Seattle, WA - with 21 ½ Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes
Tandra Childress - San Francisco, CA - with 17 HDB
Semora Kludy - Charlotte, MI - with 16 ¾ HDB
Larell Marie Mele - Long Pond, PA - with 13 ¼ HDB
Katie Prettyman - Marysville, WA - with 11 HDB
Lainey Eaton - San Diego, CA - with 10 ¾ HDB
Lauren Pace-Fraunfelter - Attleboro, MA - with 9 HDB
Cherish Brown - Edon, OH - with 7 ¾ HDB
Rene Rovtar - Basking Ridge, NJ - with 6 ½ HDB
Camille O’Brien - Jeffersonville, NY - with 6 ¾ HDB

“This was a cortisol-producing adrenaline rush unmatched in the history of organized sports,” said Major League Eating Chair George Shea. “The performances today reaffirmed my confidence in the future of the human species.”

Thousands made the pilgrimage to Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island to watch the 2026 event in person. According to Major League Eating archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship has taken place each July 4 in Coney Island, NY, since 1916—the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sports, sanctioned the contest and ensured it was judged professionally with safety standards in place.

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About Nathan’s Famous
Nathan’s Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ: NATH) 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 20 foreign countries through its product licensing activities, foodservice sales programs, and restaurant system. For additional information about Nathan’s, please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.