Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island— A $20,000 Prize to the Winner
For decades, the Coney Island hot dog eating contest, sponsored by Nathan's Famous hot dogs, at the site of their original store near the Atlantic Ocean boardwalk and Coney Island's Cyclone roller coaster, has been a July 4th favorite. In 2010, the competition was doubled; there's now a women's and a men's division. Tens of thousands of onlookers watch as a roster of preselected competitors stuff as many hotdogs into themselves as then can in ten minutes. The prize? $20,000 cash, for each division. How Many Hot Dogs Do They Eat?? How many hot dogs can a human consume in ten minutes? The record is 68 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes.What's the Prize? The prize is $20,000 in cash for both men and women winners. That ain't peanuts!
Can I Show Up & Participate in this Coney Island Hot Dog Contest? No. The contestants are selected beforehand. Not everyone can join in and slow eaters need not apply! You have to be able to stuff a more than a few dozen dogs into your mouth in a period of ten minutes. (See above, How Many?)
Is there a Women's Competition? Starting in 2011 there is a "women's division."
Who Can Eat That Much, Anyway? According to Nathan's Famous spokesperson, "30 eaters from around the world, including four-time Nathan’s Famous champ Joey “Jaws” Chestnut of San Jose, CA and the women’s division favorite, 100-pound eating phenom Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas of Alexandria, VA. Chestnut and Thomas hold the men’s and women’s hot dog eating world records with 68 hot dogs and buns and 41 hot dogs and buns, respectively."
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See Nathan's Famous Facebook videos of past hot dog contests.
When and Where to See Nathans Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney IslandIf you can't see the contestants, you can watch it on a jumbo-tron screen. Directions to Nathans Famous July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island Day by Day Calendar of July 4 Holiday Events: July 1- July 8, 2012 in Brooklyn
