Pat Bertoletti of Chicago won the title at the Cozy Dog Eating World Championship by devouring a stomach-churning 51 in 10 minutes on Saturday in Springfield, Illinois.
That far outpaced the runner-up, Darrien Thomas of Toronto, who ate 37 1/2 Cozy Dogs. Jerome Burns of Danbury, Connecticut, finished third with 25.
Bertoletti was considered the favorite in the contest, according to Capital City Now. He won $5,000.
“I don’t chew a lot,” Bertoletti said after his victory. “It was a liability as a kid. I got yelled at, but I turned it into a talent. My twin sister entered me, and I was good at it, so I just kept doing it. It’s been twenty years.”
And about any criticism that such contests are a waste of food? Bertoletti was ready for that question. “At Major League Eating, we donate to all the food banks, so we try to offset things like that.”
Few contestants even reached double digits in the Major League Eating event. It was held in conjunction with the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival.
Images from the contest:
The Cozy Dog Drive-In restaurant, a Route 66 landmark in Springfield, and Reisch Charities were the sponsors.