Joey Chestnut Masked - © 2020 Bleacher Report

UPDATE: 2020 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest!

As promised, herewith find a ‘headline news’ type of post, passing along the winners of this year’s men’s and women’s Nathan’s Famous July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest… Rather than spoil a 103-year record of uninterrupted staging of the iconic event, elaborate measures were taken against COVID-19…

Joey and Miki - 2020 Hot Dog Contest - © CNNJoey Chestnut (left) and Miki Sudo successfully retained their respective holds on
the men’s and women’s championship belts at the 2020 Nathan’s
Famous July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest yesterday.

What started in 1916 as a friendly wager between 4 friends has today become an event of world-wide interest. (Or should I say, prurient curiosity?) Organizers of the Nathan’s Famous July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest (NFJ4HDEC) moved the event off the Coney Island Boardwalk into what was described as an undisclosed ‘private indoor location’, excluded the public and even limited the staff and contestant attendees. Only 5 eaters (from each of the men’s and women’s categories) were allowed to compete at any one time, rather than the usual 15. Other precautions included plastic barriers separating the competitors, and attendants bringing ‘refills’ of Hot Dogs and other supplies wore masks.

As he predicted earlier this past week, reigning men’s champ Joey Chestnut (see photo, top of page) extended his winning streak to 13, downing 75 dogs and buns in under 10 minutes, eclipsing his 2019 score (71) and even his all-time record of 74. Chestnut also set another record, consuming his 1,000th official career Dog ‘at around the 8-minute mark’. After the event, he admitted he missed the usual crowd of raucous fans.

“It was hard, but I knew I was fast at the beginning,” Chestnut said on official live broadcaster ESPN. “The dogs were cooked really well today. At minute 6 is where I missed the crowd. I hit a wall. It took a little more work to get through it.”

Reigning women’s champ Miki Sudo claimed her 7th consecutive championship setting a new women’s record 48.5 dogs. She gave a shout out to the fans, who had to watch via ESPN: “To everybody watching at home, I wish you could be here, but thank you so much for supporting us out of your living room.”

Now you’re all caught up…

~ Maggie J.