Miki Sudo Wins 12th Hot Dog Title as Chestnut Chases No. 18
The mustard belts are on the line again, and for once, the bigger headline going into Coney Island wasn't about hot dogs at all.
Miki Sudo has won her 12th Nathan's Famous title, eating 38.5 hot dogs and buns to claim her fifth straight championship, while Joey Chestnut's bid for an 18th men's title was still playing out as this went to press.
Sudo's Win Is Already Confirmed
Sudo beat her own total from last year's 33-hot-dog win, cementing her position as the dominant force in the women's competition.
Michelle Lesco, the 2021 champion, finished as runner-up with 22 hot dogs and buns.
Sudo holds the outright women's world record of 51 hot dogs, set in 2024, and has won the women's title every year but one since 2014.
She also holds separate eating world records in kimchi, hotdish and ice cream.
Why Chestnut Almost Wasn't There
Chestnut's participation in this year's contest was briefly in question after he pleaded guilty in May to misdemeanor battery over a bar altercation.
He was accused of slapping another patron and told police he was "pretty drunk" and didn't remember the incident, later saying the moment was misinterpreted.
Chestnut was placed on 180 days of probation but was granted permission to travel for the event, and Nathan's said he would not be banned or otherwise punished over the case.
At the weigh-in Friday, Chestnut kept his focus on the competition itself, saying simply: "I'm hungry, and I'm going to dominate."
The Numbers Chestnut Is Chasing
Chestnut holds the all-time men's record of 76 hot dogs and buns, set in 2021, and has topped 70 hot dogs at the event six separate times.
He returned in 2025 after a one-year ban tied to a sponsorship dispute with a rival plant-based hot dog brand, winning his 17th title by eating 70.5 hot dogs.
Oddsmakers installed him as high as a -2500 favorite for this year's contest, giving him a roughly 96% implied probability of winning.
His closest competitor in the betting odds, Patrick Bertoletti, sat all the way out at 11-1.
What the Day Looked Like at Coney Island
The women's competition began at 10:45 a.m. ET, with the men following at 12:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on ABC and ESPN2 as part of ESPN's 23rd consecutive year covering the event.
Both champions competed under an extreme heat warning issued for Coney Island that morning.
Longtime host George Shea, who has emceed the competition for 35 years, said he planned to remove his sport jacket during the contest itself as his own concession to the heat, while keeping his signature boater hat on.
A prize pool of roughly $40,000 was split between the men's and women's events, with each winner earning $10,000 and the coveted Mustard Belt.
Why This Year Carries Extra Weight
This year's contest doubles as part of the celebration marking 250 years since American independence, giving the event a slightly bigger stage than usual.
Competitors must eat as many hot dogs and buns as possible in 10 minutes, with instant disqualification for anyone who vomits during that window.
The contest has run since 1972, when Jason Schechter won the first official men's title by eating 14 hot dogs — a total that would barely register as a warm-up for today's leading eaters.
TL;DR
- Miki Sudo won her 12th Nathan's title and fifth straight championship, eating 38.5 hot dogs and buns.
- Michelle Lesco finished runner-up in the women's contest with 22 hot dogs.
- Joey Chestnut, chasing an 18th men's title, was on 180 days of probation after a May guilty plea but was cleared to compete.
- Chestnut holds the all-time record of 76 hot dogs, set in 2021, and was a -2500 betting favorite this year.
- The event doubles as part of America's 250th Independence Day celebrations.
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Culture & Entertainment Reporter
Marcus Webb writes about music, film, TV, and digital culture. He tracks the trends shaping entertainment and the creators driving them.
