Winners of qualifying event for ‘World Cup’ of hot dog eating announced

The qualifying event took place in West Sussex, with one of the winners being called an ‘eater of note’.

The annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest competition took place at Seal Bay Resort’s White Horse Complex in Selsey, West Sussex (Major League Eating/PA) (PA Media)

The winners of the qualifying event for the “World Cup” of competitive hot dog eating have been announced, with one of the victors being known as an “eater of note”.

A dozen competitors, many from the UK, battled it out to see who could eat the most hot dogs in 10 minutes in the event called Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which pays homage to Nathan’s Famous, the host of the event, as well as a chain of fast-food restaurants specialising in hot dogs.

The annual event took place at Seal Bay Resort’s White Horse Complex in Selsey, West Sussex, and marked the first time it was held in the UK, with the next round for the world championship men’s and women’s contests to take place in Coney Island, New York, on July 4 2024.

The winners were announced on social media by Major League Eating, which sanctions Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit and ensures that safety standards are in place at each event.

Max Stanford claimed victory in the men’s category for the first qualifier round, wolfing down 34 hot dogs and buns, with Radim Dvoracek second, having eaten 21.5 hot dogs and buns.

There was a tie for the next spot, with Ronnie Hartman and John Dawes both making the podium.

In the women’s category, Rhea Jarvis managed to secure first place by eating four hot dogs and buns.

Speaking to the PA news agency before the competition, Major League Eating president Richard Shea, 54, said Mr Stanford was an “eater of note” and predicted that he might be “the odds-on favourite for the Brits in this but I’ve never seen him eat hot dogs so you never know”.

Some of Mr Stanford’s previous achievements include eating 141 Oreos in five minutes, 23 McPlant burgers in less than an hour, and 50 cream eggs in 24 minutes.

Mr Shea said that, according to oral history, a hot dog eating competition has occurred every July 4 in Coney Island since 1916, the year the first Nathan’s Famous restaurant was opened.