Westfield man wins Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Championship for 18th time

CONEY ISLAND, NY. (WISH) — A man from Westfield, Indiana, won the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship for the 18th time on Saturday.

Joey Chestnut claimed the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt by eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, topping a competitive field that included #2-ranked Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, Illinois, #3-ranked Geoffrey Esper of Oxford, Massachusetts; #4-ranked James Webb of Sydney, Australia; #8-ranked Max Stanford of London, England; and #12-ranked Radim Dvoracek of Ostrava, Czech Republic.

The win marked his 18th victory in the competition’s history.

Miki Sudo won the women’s competition, devouring 38 ¾ hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes amid a field that included 2021 champion Michelle Lesco of Tucson, Arizona; Domenica Dee; Tandra Childress; Katie Prettyman; and Larell Marie Mele of Long Pond, Pennsylvania. This is the 12th time she has claimed the Mustard Yellow Belt.

“The contest was a celebration of community, competition and country, with a dramatic finish that will stand in the history of July 4,” Phil McCann, vice president of marketing at Nathan’s Famous said.