Sydney’s James Webb has wolfed down 45.5 hot dogs in just 10 minutes to claim third place at the iconic Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest held in Coney Island, New York, on July 4.
The 36-year-old credited his success to “cranberry juice and minimal chewing”, telling ABC News Breakfast he was “a little bit tired and hot dogged out” after the feat.
Webb finished behind Patrick Bertoletti (46.5) and 17-time champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, who reclaimed the title with a staggering 70.5 hot dogs. Speaking to the crowd, Chestnut said:
“I wish I ate a couple more. Sorry guys. I’ll be back next year.”
Webb’s rise to fame began in 2021 after completing a 5kg burger challenge at the Khartoum Hotel in Cessnock in just under 28 minutes. Since then, he has become Australia’s #1 competitive eater and world #4 in Major League Eating, holding multiple records including 70 glazed donuts in eight minutes and 224 chicken wings in 10 minutes.
“It’s been a crazy month of every second day eating hot dogs,” Webb said.
“To be honest, I’m kind of glad it’s over for another year.”
Balancing his love for weightlifting with eating, Webb calls competitive eating “a fun challenge” that has changed his life. “Eating is my life now… [I’m] super grateful,” he said.
The annual hot dog eating contest—broadcast live by ESPN—has been a Fourth of July tradition since 1972. The event sees elite eaters from around the world battle it out for a slice of the $40,000 prize pool, which gets split between the male and female divisions. Men’s and women’s first place champions get $10,000 apiece, second place finishers get $5,000 apiece, and third place finishers get $2,500 apiece.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
