If you’re starving for competition, you’ve come to the right place with our list of the 10 biggest hot dog eating contests in the world.
Eating contests seem to be a staple of American culture. Only in the US would people pride themselves on being able to eat an exorbitant amount of food in a short period of time. Sure, people probably do it in other places, but I can’t think of anything more quintessentially American.
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Eating competitions happen all over the globe and they’re different from country to country. The goal is to eat as much food as you can in the time allotted, which is a greater feat than you’d think. The most popular eating competitions in the US are hot dogs, burgers, and pie. Those are some all-American food options.
In order to identify the biggest hot dog eating contests in the world, we used FEATS Forum, which is where fans gather and the new information on eating contests is posted. We identified the most visited contests and ranked them according to the first prize. The contests that offer the most money to the winner went to the front of the list. If two contests tied regarding prize money, we broke the tie with the number of contestants. Information about the number of contestants is found on the official sites of the respective competition.
If you have an appetite already just by reading this, check out our guide of the 21 Best Hot Dog Joints in New York City. Those of you with an appetite for competition should keep reading to find out where they can make money for their skill.
10. Kearney County Fair
First prize: $50
This is held in Minden, Nebraska and has a lot of activities for the whole family, like volleyball and a mud contest. The star of the fair is the hot dog eating contest, which offers $50 to its first place winner.
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9. Frank and Steins
First prize: $200
This contest is held in Orlando, Florida. Each contestant has 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs as they can and the person who eats the most is awarded $200.
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8. Paulie’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
First prize: $200
Honesdale, Pennsylvania has hosted this hot dog eating contest for 11 years in a row. The 2016 cash prize for the men’s and women’s contest was $200 each. Since it has 30 contestants, it’s a bigger contest than the previous one on our list, but because of its small cash prize it only ranks number eight.
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7. Tasty 8’s
First prize: $250
As the name suggests, Tasty 8’s has only eight contestants who eat as many hot dogs as they can in eight minutes. It’s held in Raleigh, North Carolina.
6. Ventura’s Inaugural Hot Dog Eating Contest
First prize: $250
Ventura’s Inaugural Hot Dog Eating Contest, that is one of the biggest hot dog eating contests in the world was held on January 22, 2017 in Ventura, California. The winning prize was $250 for eating the most hot dogs in 10 minutes. It was limited to 10 contestants.
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5. The Long Island Hot Dog Festival
First prize: $500
The fifth on our list of the 10 biggest hot dog eating contests in the world is the Long Island Hot Dog Festival. This competition is held in July at Iron Mike’s Bar and Grill in Seldon, New York. There is no limit to the number of contestants and they have to eat as many hot dogs as they can in 10 minutes. First prize is $500, second place gets $100, and third place is awarded $30.
4. Heinkel’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
First prize: $500
The number 4 on our list of biggest hot dog eating contests in the world is held in August in Decatur, Illinois. As is standard, contestants have 10 minutes to eat all the hot dogs they can. There are two pre-qualifying events and 10 contestants and two alternates quality for the main event. The first place winner receives $500, second place wins $250, and third place wins $100. The prizes are bigger for the second and third place winners, which is why it ranks higher than the previous competition.
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3. UP Dog’s
First prize: $750
This is one of the biggest hot dog eating contests in the world and awards a $750 prize to its winner. It’s held in Independence, Missouri. In July it celebrated its seventh year. This contest has two categories more than standard: kids and amateurs. There is no limit to the number of contestants in each category.
2. Fish Tales Hot Dog Eating Contest
First prize: $1,000
Fish Tales is a bar and grill in Ocean City, Maryland and holds an annual hot dog eating contest with a grand prize of $1,000. The competition gives everyone who wants to participate the opportunity, but only 20 qualify for the main event.
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1. Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
First prize: $10,000
This is understandably the biggest hot dog eating contest considering it’s the most popular and has lasted for over 100 years. There is a qualifying round and the main competition, which usually has 20 contestants. This is broadcast on ESPN and averages over a million viewers. The grand prize winner receives $10,000.
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That concludes our list of the 10 biggest hot dog eating contests in the world. Are you hungry now?
