Nathan’s Famous will conduct the 2020 Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island on Saturday, July 4, 2020. The annual contest, an American holiday tradition that traditionally has been held on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues for generations, will take place in a private location with COVID-19 safety measures in place. It is one of the first major [televised] post-COVID competitive events to be held in the United States. The event will feature 10-minute competitions for leading male and female eaters, including Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA, and Miki Sudo of Torrington, CT. Twelve-time champion Chestnut holds the world record of 74 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Sudo, whose all-time best is 41 hot dogs and buns, has won the contest six times. The women’s world record is 45 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. This year, the contest -- which features an annual donation of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to Food Bank for New York City -- will be dedicated to raising funds for food banks and to raising awareness of food bank needs. Major League Eating and individual eaters will make donations to food banks and use the contest as a platform to highlight the work of these organizations. The contest also will be used as a platform to honor essential workers in New York City, many of whom have not received recognition for their efforts. On a typical July 4, thousands have made the pilgrimage to Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island to watch the event in person. While this is not possible this year, ESPN will air its 12 noon ET telecast of the contest, which routinely draws an audience of millions. Each of the contests will include five eaters, rather than the usual 15, to allow for social distancing. According to Major League Eating ("MLE") archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island, NY, since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sport, sanctions the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit and ensures the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.  This Week Sponsor: Get your life back with Relief Factor and its 3-Week Quick Start for only $19.95. If you are in pain, what have you got to lose? Go to https://www.relieffactor.com Subscribe on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices