Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Participants: Full list of 2024 contestants

The Fourth of July is meant for one thing: the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Sure, some might find it gross but the true lovers of grubbin' know that this is a phenomenal 10-minute sprint for first the women and then the men to consume as many hot dogs and buns as possible. The prize? Other than glory, a nice cash sum and the vaunted championship belt that Joey Chestnut has held for so many years.

But this time around, Joey Chestnut will not be competing. He's out of the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and won't be there to defend his crown -- or even try to break his own record of 76 hot dogs set back in 2021. That means we could have some drama at Coney Island come July 4 at around Noon ET when the men's contest starts. The women's contest is unlikely to have similar drama with Miki Sudo defending her crown and run of dominance.

So who else is competing this year? We have you covered with some information about each contestant in the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest as well as the odds for both the men's and women's contests.

2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest men's competitors

Without Chestnut in the field, this is going to be an interesting fight on Coney Island. Geoffrey Esper is the clear favorite and the highest-ranked eater in the field. However, he does not have the highest personal best of those competing this year in the contest. That honor belongs to Chicago's Patrick Bertoletti this year.

Beyond that, it's also fun to see some of the other competitors in the field. Gideon Oji is an imposing 6-foot-9 and will be impossible to miss on the stage. Darrien Thomas, the No. 12-ranked eater in MLE's rankings, is the youngest eater in the contest by seven whole years. And, among others, William Claude Lyon IV has competed previously in bodybuilding competitions and won a qualifier in Cleveland to make it to Coney Island.

Odds for the Men's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Let's take a look at the full odds board for the men's contest, via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Geoffrey Esper (-115)
• James Webb (+175)
• Nick Wehry (+750)
• Patrick Bertoletti (+1000)
• Gideo Oji (+4000)
• Derek Hendrickson (+7500)
• Darrien Thomas (+7500)
• Max Stanford (+7500)
• George Chiger (+7500)
• The Field (+2500)

Given the odds we've seen Chestnut at historically, this is a great indication of how much parity is in the 2024 contest. Esper is only slightly worse than even money on the odds board with three competitors at +1000 or better beyond the No. 2 eater in the world.

Why isn't Joey Chestnut in the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?

So why isn't Joey Chestnut competing? It starts with a brand deal that the No. 1-ranked eater and Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest icon signed with Impossible Foods, a meat alternative. Though MLE and Nathan's have fought the word "ban", Chestnut was effectively barred from competing.

In an interview this week with Emma Baccellieri of SI, Chestnut stated that the split this year with Nathan's, he claims, is from the contest changing language about competing brands being represented, which he was set to do with Impossible Foods. Chestnut then stated that he and his team did not believe they were left enough time to alter their arrangements and plans, thus leading to him not competing on the Fourth of July.

Instead, Joey Chestnut will compete with four Army servicemembers in another hot dog eating contest at Fort Bliss outside of El Paso, TX. The contest will be five minutes long and live-streamed on July 4 with a 5 p.m. ET start time. He is also set to compete on Labor Day against another legend, Takeru Kobayashi, in a one-on-one hot dog eating contest hosted by Netflix.

2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest women's competitors

Miki Sudo is the legend of this group which is heavily reflected in the odds as she's a monster favorite. However, there are some incredibly cool stories in the competition, including Julie Goldberg, the only New York native competing in this year's Hot Dog Eating Contest. You also have to appreciate Larell Marie Mele, who is 60 years old and competing in this contest for the 14th time, a record for the women in this event. Then we also have Michelle Lesco, who won the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2021 when Sudo was out due to her pregnancy.

Perhaps the wildest entry in the contest, though, is Ellen Straub. The Florida native will be competing in what is her first official competitive eating event. What a stage to make that type of debut!

Odds for the Women's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Now, a look at the odds for the women's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Miki Sudo (-800)
• Mayoi Ebihara (+500)
• Michelle Lesco (+3000)
• Katie Prettyman (+5000)
• Larell Marie Mele (+10000)
• The Field (+5000)

This odds board is much more akin to what you'd expect with a men's contest featuring Chestnut, speaking to how dominant Miki Sudo is as the No. 3-ranked eater in the world (which combines men and women). She's a ridiculous favorite as the -800 number has an 88.89% implied probability that she'll win. The fact that only four other contestants are listed individually is another indication of as much.