For another year on the Fourth of July, some of the world's best competitive eaters will make their way to New York's Coney Island for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
As in most years, the 2025 event will be headlined by Joey Chestnut, who is back in the men's field after a one-year ban held him out of the competition in 2024. The last time Chestnut competed, he ate 62 hot dogs and buns (HDB) to end a run of eight consecutive wins.
Last year's men's winner, Patrick Bertoletti, finished with 58 HDB, while the women's winner, Miki Sudo, wasn't far behind with 51. Making the numbers all the more impressive is the time limit that contestants compete within.
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Here is what you need to know about the time limits and format for men and women who compete.
How long is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
The time limit for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is 10 minutes. The limit is in place for both the men's and women's contests.
The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest adopted a 10-minute time limit during the 2008 contest, and a separate competition for women was reintroduced in 2011. Both contests have operated under the same time limits.
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Time limits have fluctuated over the years, with a 12-minute format being the standard from 1988 until the reversion back to 10 minutes in 2008.
As for the competition format, the contestant who consumes (and keeps down) the most hot dogs and buns in those 10 minutes is the winner. Contestants are allowed to use a beverage and condiments are also permitted.
In the event of a tie, the contest goes to an untimed eat-off in which the first contestant to reach a certain number of hot dogs and buns is deemed the winner. The contest has not been decided by an eat-off since 2008, in which Chestnut ate five hot dogs and buns in 50 seconds.
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