Chicago’s Patrick Bertoletti has won his first title at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.
Bertoletti won by eating 58 hot dogs in a thrilling 10-minute race that saw the lead swing back and forth between competitors, surpassing his previous personal best of 55 hot dogs.
The 39-year-old defeated 13 competitors from around the world. But the biggest story was the absence of 16-time men’s champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, who was absent from this year’s competition after a sponsor dispute.
Last year, Chestnut chewed his way to the title by wolfing down 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The record, set in 2021, stands at 76. But Chestnut was initially banned from this year’s event because of a sponsorship deal with plant-based meat company Impossible Foods. Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan’s Famous contest, has since said it has lifted the ban, but Chestnut said he would not return to the Coney Island contest without an apology.
Instead, he was scheduled to eat later Thursday at an event at Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso. The contest will feature traditional franks, with Chestnut attempting to defeat four soldiers in five minutes.
Even though he doesn’t eat their vegan products, Impossible Foods is promoting Chestnut’s YouTube livestream of the exhibit by flying planes carrying banners over Los Angeles and Miami.
Chestnut’s absence from the Nathan’s competition was big enough news for New York City Mayor Eric Adams to get involved. Adams told X that all parties involved “need to stop being such wimps.” He said it would be “impossible” to hold the competition without Chestnut, adding, “Let’s find a way to quell this problem and bring back the champ…”
Chestnut, who earned an estimated $4 million from eating contests last year, will take on old rival Takeru Kobayashi on Netflix in September.
Earlier on Thursday, reigning champion Miki Sudo of Florida won her 10th title in the women’s division. Sudo ate 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes, setting a new world record for women.
“I’m happy that I can continue doing this for another year,” Sudo said after winning her tenth title.
Sudo beat out 13 competitors from around the world on Thursday, including her 28-year-old rival, Mayoi Ebihara of Japan. Ebihara came in second after eating 37 hot dogs in 10 minutes. She was also the runner-up in 2023.
Thousands of fans flock to the event held outside the original Nathan’s location in Brooklyn’s Coney Island each year. Competitors come from more than a dozen states and five continents, with prospects from Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic vying for the coveted title and $10,000 in prize money.