Honestly, the energy at Coney Island on July 4, 2024, felt different. If you’ve ever stood on that corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues, you know the vibe is usually one of foregone conclusions. You show up, you sweat, and you watch Joey Chestnut win. But the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024 was a total reboot. No Chestnut. No "Jaws." Just a bunch of hungry contenders and a massive, meat-shaped void.
It was weird.
For the first time since 2015, we were guaranteed a new men's champion. The whole drama started because of a sponsorship tiff. Joey signed a deal with Impossible Foods—you know, the plant-based meat people—and Major League Eating (MLE) basically said, "You can't pitch veggie dogs and then come eat our beef franks." It was a mess. Joey ended up in Texas eating against soldiers, while the rest of the world looked toward Brooklyn to see who would inherit the throne.
The Man Who Finally Claimed the Mustard Belt
Patrick Bertoletti. Remember that name. He’s a 39-year-old chef from Chicago, and he has been in the game forever. Seriously, the guy is a legend in the competitive eating world, holding records for everything from pickled jalapenos to blueberry pie. But the big one—the Mustard Yellow Belt—had always been just out of reach because of Chestnut's dominance.
When the clock started, it wasn't a runaway. It was a dogfight.
Geoffrey Esper, the math teacher from Massachusetts who usually finishes second to Joey, was the betting favorite. James Webb, an Aussie with a massive following, actually took the lead at one point. It was chaotic. You've got guys dunking buns into water, rhythmic chewing, and the kind of focus you usually only see in surgeons.
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But Bertoletti didn't blink. He just kept rhythm. By the time the ten minutes were up, he had downed 58 hot dogs and buns. It wasn't the 76-dog world record, but it was enough. He beat Esper (53) and Webb (52) in one of the closest finishes we've seen in years. He walked away with $10,000 and the heaviest belt in sports.
Miki Sudo and the Record Nobody Saw Coming
While the men’s side was about a new beginning, the women’s side of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024 was about absolute, soul-crushing dominance. Miki Sudo is, quite simply, the greatest female eater to ever live.
Most people expected her to win. She’s won every year she’s competed since 2014. But nobody—and I mean nobody—expected her to do what she did this year.
Sudo ate 51 hot dogs.
Think about that. Fifty-one. She didn't just win; she set a new world record. She became the first woman to ever break the 50-dog barrier in official competition. Watching her work is sort of hypnotic. She uses a "two-at-a-time" technique that makes the franks disappear like they’re being vacuumed. Her rival, Mayoi Ebihara from Japan, put up a respectable 37, but Miki was in a different stratosphere.
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She later admitted she was "getting emotional" because she really wanted to prove that she still had more to give. Ten titles in, and she’s still getting faster. It’s scary, honestly.
Why the 2024 Contest Actually Matters for the Future
Some purists argued that the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024 didn't count because the "King" wasn't there. That's a bit unfair. If anything, the absence of Chestnut proved that the sport is bigger than just one guy.
The viewership numbers were still huge. The crowd at Coney Island was still packed and screaming. We learned that the "Field" is actually incredibly talented when they aren't just fighting for second place.
- The Power of Narrative: The "Plant-Based War" between Joey and MLE created more mainstream news coverage for the event than a standard win would have.
- New Stars: Patrick Bertoletti is now a household name for casual sports fans.
- Technical Progression: Miki Sudo proved the ceiling for human consumption is still rising.
There’s also the "Badlands" factor. Eric "Badlands" Booker, the crowd favorite and YouTube star, set a new record in the lemonade chugging portion of the event, finishing a gallon in 21 seconds. It’s those little side-stories that keep people coming back to the boardwalk every July.
What You Should Do Before the 2025 Contest
If you’re planning on following the circuit or even making the trip to Brooklyn next year, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, keep an eye on the "Chestnut vs. Kobayashi" rivalry. They had a massive Netflix special on Labor Day 2024 that changed the landscape of where these guys can compete.
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Second, if you want to see the action without the crowds, ESPN3 usually runs the "Iso-Cams" during the contest. You can pick one eater and watch their technique for the full ten minutes. It’s gross, sure, but it’s also a masterclass in efficiency.
Finally, don't sleep on the international qualifiers. Eaters from Brazil, South Korea, and Australia are getting significantly better. The days of American dominance might be numbered.
The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024 will be remembered as the year the belt stayed in Chicago and the year 50 dogs finally became the floor for the women's division. It was the Fourth of July. It was hot. It was weird. And it was exactly what competitive eating needed to stay relevant in a post-Chestnut world.
To stay ahead of the next competitive eating season, start by following the Major League Eating (MLE) rankings and checking for local qualifiers in your area, as the road to Coney Island begins much earlier than July. You can also monitor the official Nathan’s Famous social channels for updates on Joey Chestnut’s eligibility status for 2025, which remains the biggest question mark in the sport.