Competitive eater Miki Sudo claimed her 12th championship at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in New York on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
Sudo downed 38.75 hot dogs and buns within the standard 10-minute time limit, according to abc7chicago. com.
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This surpassed her 2025 performance of 33 hot dogs, which also secured the top spot.
The event requires competitors to eat as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes, often dipping them in water to ease consumption.
Sudo holds the women's world record of 51 hot dogs.
Men's Division Highlights
In the men's division, champion Joey Chestnut aimed to defend his title and secure his 18th victory. News10.
com reported that Chestnut reclaimed his crown in 2025 by eating 70.5 hot dogs after a break from the event in 2024.
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Chestnut holds the men's world record of 76 hot dogs, set in 2021. Before the 2026 competition, he expressed confidence in an interview on Good Morning America.
"Feeling good, I'm hungry, and it's a beautiful day. This is going to be a great Fourth of July," Chestnut said.
He also detailed his pre-contest routine: "I'm doing my cleanse, I'm empty and I'm loose."
The event on Surf Avenue also marked America's 250th birthday. After the contests, a fireworks display was scheduled from 9:45 p.
m. to 10:15 p.
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m. ET over the Coney Island shoreline.
