Overview
- Joey Chestnut is set to compete at Coney Island on July 4 after sitting out the 2024 contest due to a sponsorship conflict with Impossible Foods.
- His training regimen, which began in April, includes timed practice contests and techniques to push past the psychological barrier of fullness.
- As a 16-time champion with a 2021 record of 76 hot dogs and an 83-hot-dog showing in a 2024 Netflix special, he is projected to top 71.5 HDB in 2025.
- Nathan’s Famous has confirmed a $40,000 total purse evenly split between men’s and women’s divisions, with $10,000 awarded to each first-place finisher.
- Chestnut’s return has reignited his rivalry with Takeru Kobayashi and drawn extensive live coverage during Coney Island’s Independence Day festivities.