The 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Championship will be held on Thursday, July 4, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Coney Island.
The annual contest, an American holiday tradition, takes place at the legendary flagship restaurant Nathan’s Famous on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island.
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On July 4, top eaters from across the Americas, as well as Japan, Brazil, Australia, Korea, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Canada will attempt to break the men’s and women’s world records.
“Nathan’s Famous International Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is the ultimate holiday tradition and we are thrilled to be back at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues,” said Phil McCann, Vice President of Marketing for Nathan’s Famous. “Thousands of spectators come to Nathan’s Flagship in Coney Island each year to celebrate the legendary sporting event with us in person.”
A total of 15 men and 14 women will participate in the 2024 competition. The men’s and women’s competitions each offer cash prizes of $20,000.
Last year, Geoffrey Esper of Oxford, MA, ate 49 Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Buns; James Webb of Sydney, Australia, ate 47; Nick Wehry of Port Ritchey, FL, ate 45. In the women’s competition last year, Miki Sudo of Tampa, FL, ate 39.5; Mayoi Ebihara of Osaka, Japan, ate 33.5; Michelle Lesco of Tucson, AZ, ate 24.25.
Pre-show festivities begin at 10:00 a.m. and include live music and dance performances. The women’s competition begins at 11:00 a.m. and the men’s at 12:30 p.m. Nathan’s Famous will also make its annual donation of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to the Food Bank for New York City prior to the event.
“The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is arguably the most iconic sporting event in American history,” said George Shea, chairman of Major League Eating. “Eaters from around the world come to Coney Island to celebrate this festival of freedom.”
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Thousands flock to Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island each year to watch the event in person. The spectacle will also be televised by ESPN to millions of viewers around the world. ESPN has exclusive live broadcast rights from 10:45 a.m. until the end of the event, which is expected to be 1:00 p.m. ET. Coverage of the women’s competition begins at 10:45 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Coverage of the men’s competition begins at noon ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Replays on ESPN will be at 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Broadcast times are subject to change.
According to the Major League Eating archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship has been held every July 4th in Coney Island, NY since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centered sports, sanctioned the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit and ensures that contests are professionally judged and safety standards are followed at each event.
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