As is part of American tradition these days, the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place on the Fourth of July at Coney Island. People throughout the country will tune in to watch people stuff their faces with hot dogs for 10 minutes in the name of patriotism — but these professional eaters aren’t just competing for national glory.
The Hot Dog Eating Contest has a $40,000 pool split evenly between the men’s and women’s competitions. The winner of each receives $10,000, and the runner-up gets $5,000. The next three to place each receive $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000.
Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo are the heavy favorites to win the men’s and women’s competitions, respectively, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Sudo has won eight Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contests and holds the women’s record at 48.5, and Chestnut has won 15 and holds the men’s record at 76.
The women’s competition will begin at 10:45 a.m. ET and will air on ESPN3, and the men’s will air at 12 p.m. on ESPN. The winners also receive belts — the men’s mustard yellow and the women’s Pepto Bismol pink.