Koby Falls Short -- Black Widow's Record Stands

Takeru Kobayashi ate an impressive four pounds, eight ounces of fruitcake on Thursday, December 26, in New York City, as part of a charitable initiative by Major League Eating on behalf of the Food Bank for New York City.

Kobayashi failed to break Sonya Thomas' record of four pounds, 14 ounces, that has stood since 2001. Some attributed it to the density of the fruitcake he faced, which was compared to "moist modeling clay." However, nearly all fruitcake is dense, and fans who were present in 2001 said the Black Widow's fruitcake was dense and heavy as well.

Kobayashi seemed to struggle with the cake early on, and adjusted his strategy at the six-minute mark, breaking the cake into bits with his hands before eating it. His pace improved thereafter, but he was unable to make up the deficit he had created.

MLE held the event to help raise awareness of the crisis faced by food banks across the nation in the current economic environment. With its members, clients and fans, MLE is seeking to raise funds for the Food Bank For New York City, the major provider of food to New Yorkers in need.

MLE, which has raised tens of thousands of dollars for food-related charities, has formally requested its members to donate to the Food Bank by logging on to www.foodbanknyc.org and to consume any and all fruitcake they come across in the holiday season.