Joey Chestnut, 38, who is known as “Jaws” and holds 50 world records in eating competitions, finished first after devouring 63 hot dogs. Miki Sudo, the world’s No. 1 ranked female eater who entered the women’s competition last year because she was pregnant, came in first after downing 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes. She beat Michelle Lesco, 38, who won in 2021. “What better place to get the title back?” Mrs Sudo said from the stage after the competition, as she held her son, Max. “That was an amazing comeback.” The contest, which has been held in alternate locations the past two years due to the pandemic, has returned to Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island, a venue as historic as “the Boston Garden floor,” said Rich Shea, president of the Major. League Eating, on ESPN, which broadcast the contest. The pageant’s return to Coney Island drew thousands of spectators who flocked to Nathan’s original location to watch the pageant. Spectators carried signs reading: ‘Don’t fly’ and ‘Tastes like freedom’ and others wore hot dog costumes as they cheered on the foodies, who came from across the country as well as Australia and the UK to compete. George Shea, the contest’s host and founder of Major League Eating, hailed the contest as “a battle of the titans, the early gods,” as a chorus of white-robed singers sang behind him. “We’re back,” he shouted. “We’re back, Brooklyn!” Kristen Tomlan, 31, traveled three hours from Coventry, Rhode Island the night before to see her first Nathan competition in person. “I wanted to see a legend and maybe see a world record broken,” Ms. Thomlan said, referring to Mr. Chestnut. Ms. Sudo, who competed with an injured wrist, didn’t break her personal record of 48.5 hot dogs, but she kept well ahead of the other 12 contenders during the competition. Halfway through the race, she had eaten more than 20 hot dogs, while the next competitor had consumed only 16. By the last minute, Ms. Sudo was the clear winner, having carved 40 hot dogs. That left Ms. Lesco competing for second place against Sarah Rodriguez, 35, a bodybuilder from Seattle, Wash. Mrs. Lesko, who ate 26 hot dogs, came in second. Ms. Rodriguez placed third with 23.25 hot dogs. After the women’s game, the workers cleared the remaining hot dogs from the long table and placed fresh water for the men’s round. Mr. Chestnut, who is 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds and competed with an injured leg, said he prepared for the contest by following a liquid diet. “Lemon juice, water, just a little protein,” he told ESPN on Sunday. “I’ll be happy and hungry.” The crowd chanted “Joey! Joy!” as Mr. Chestnut beat 15 other men, including a war veteran who fought in Afghanistan, a Chicago man who once ate 275 jalapeños in 8 minutes, and Nick Wehry, Ms. Sudo’s fiance and a diet coach from Tampa, Florida , who last year finished 50 boiled eggs in 3 minutes and four seconds. After the contest, Mr. Castada appeared exhausted, sweaty and grimacing. “It was a crazy competition,” he said from the stage. Mr. Chestnut, who has a personal record of 78 hot dogs, has set other impressive records: including 32 Big Macs in 38 minutes, 82 tacos in eight minutes and 5.9 pounds of funnel cake in ten minutes. The maximum number of hot dogs a person can eat in 10 minutes is 83, according to a study published in 2020 based on 39 years of data from the competition. The annual hot dog eating contest has been held every year since 1916. In 2020, the American spectacle was held at a secret location and was only open to the media to help limit the spread of Covid-19. Last year, spectators were welcome again, but the event was ticketed and held at Maimonides Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, to also limit the number of people in attendance. On Monday, Luis and Yolenny Colon of Brooklyn came with their 2-year-old daughter, Jolene, and their French bulldog, Bella, to watch the competition. They said they were a little disappointed that Mr. Chestnut didn’t break his record, but they were excited that their child could watch the competition in its traditional location. “We wanted him to experience something so iconic,” Mr. Colon, 38, said. “This is history.”
