The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is a July 4th tradition that draws the attention and fascination of everyone over the holiday annually. Watching Major League Eating, Joey Chestnut (except in 2024), Miki Sudo and some of the best competitive eaters in the world gather in Coney Island to see how many meat sleeves and buns they can consume is a tale as old as time. And as ESPN has expanded their coverage over the years, the event and the contest have only grown.
When you look at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, the first instinct is probably that you don't need to learn all that much. It's about eating as many hot dogs as possible, how complicated could it actually be? But this contest has a bevy of rules that viewers and fans undoubtedly need to know so they fully understand what's going on on the stage as these eaters compete for the Mustard belt.
So let's dive into the full rules for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest with the time limit, the use of condiments, what beverages are in play, tiebreaker rules, and everything about the rules that you need to know (or could ever want to know).
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest rules: Time limit and details
The rules of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest are simple in that the eaters will have 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs and buns as possible before the clock runs out. It's crucial to note the buns as part of the equation as, even though you see it, you might not be factoring in how filling that amount of bread can make things when they're eating dozens of hot dogs across 10 minutes.
One other thing to note is that there isn't just one person calculating how these competitors fare in the contest. Every eater who is competing as their own individual scorekeeper who is watching them and counting throughout the 10-minute time limit. They will also be there to assess penalties for regurgitation, half-eaten hot dogs and so on.
Can competitors use condiments in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Contrary to popular belief, competitors in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest are actually allowed to use condiments during the event. However, that is almost unanimously rejected by the participants for the sole purpose of a competitive advantage. The eaters on the stage are going to be consuming a ton of hot dogs throughout the event, so adding anything that could upset the stomach or even take up marginally more room in the stomach like mustard or ketchup is ultimately considered superfluous and not used in Coney Island.
What beverages are used during the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Participants in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest are allowed to use whatever beverage they like while competing in the event. They are allowed to use whatever drink they want, whether that's water, soda or what have you. In reality, a lot of this can come down to personal preference and whatever best suits the constitution of each eater. However, many eaters will avoid sodas because of the potential for gas and regurgitation.
How total hot dogs are counted in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
One important thing to note in the contest is that the total given at the end of the contest is for hot dogs and buns eaten as well as half-eaten dogs. If a participant takes a half-hot dog bite before the time is up, that will still count as 0.5 hot dogs toward their tally. It's also worth remembering that, at the end of the contest, any hot dogs that are in a competitor's mouth whenever the horn sounds count as long as they are swallowed and don't come back up. The same is true, again, for half-eaten hot dogs.
What happens if the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest ends in a tie?
Though we don't really see this in the Chestnut era, a tie in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is decided by a sudden-death eat off. The details are that the two tied participants will have five hot dogs placed in front of them and whoever eats them the fastest will be crowned the champion. If by some chance they were still tied after the five-hot dog showdown, the competitors would then have a sudden-death showdown to eat and swallow one hot dog with the Mustard Belt on the line.