Miki Sudo set a new record during Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest — but she’s been a champ for years prior.
Sudo, 38, became a reigning winner on Thursday, July 4, when she ate a world record-breaking 51 dogs in 10 minutes. This marked the 10th time that Sudo won the annual contest after getting her start in 2014.
“Breaking 50 is a milestone for all women and I’m really excited to be a part of it,” Sudo told The Post after winning the pink belt. Mayoi Ebihara came in second with 37 hot dogs while Michelle Lesco finished third with 23 and a half.
While Sudo came from Florida to defend her title, other competitors travel from all over the world to take part in the Coney Island tradition. Some contestants have arrived from places such as Brazil, Japan, the U.K., South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic to fight for the coveted title in men’s and women’s divisions and the $10,000 prize money.
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Absent from this year’s events, however, was 16-time champion Joey Chestnut, who was barred after signing an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, the plant-based meat company. Patrick Bertoletti won instead with 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Sudo following her big win:
How Did Miki Sudo Enter the Competitive Eating Circuit?
Miki Sudo wins the women’s division of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on July 4, 2014. Kena Betancur/Getty Images
Sudo won the women’s championship at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest every year from 2014 to 2020 after unseating Sonya Thomas, who was previously the winner since the competition’s 2011 inception. Before entering the world of hot dog eating, Sudo got her start in a 2013 pho eating contest.
Sudo — who is currently studying to become a dental hygienist — became Major League Eating’s top-ranked female competitive eater in 2014 before reaching the top three the following year. She also holds four world records in Kimchi, Hotdish, ice cream and hot dogs.
According to Sudo, her decision to become a professional competitive eater started on a whim.
“I’ve always been one to try new things and always down for adventure, so I just kind of decided to give it a try and I plugged away,” Sudo told Newsweek in July 2023 about how she entered her first contest out of curiosity. “I finished this challenge, and then they put me up on a billboard and they started getting requests to do other challenges. Once I realized that there was a competitive circuit, that’s when my competitive streak really got the best of me. Here I am, over 10 years later.”
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Has Miki Sudo Every Skipped the Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island?
The only year Sudo didn’t compete was 2021 because she was 37 weeks pregnant with her son. She still attended the hot dog eating contest as a commentator for ESPN and went on to win for the eighth time the following year.
How Did Miki Sudo Find Love in the Competitive Eating World?
Nick Wehry and Miki Sudo. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Sudo shares son Max with husband Nick Wehry — who is also a competitive eater.
“We like to say we didn’t choose competitive eating, competitive eating chose us,” Sudo told ABC in July 2024. “I met the love of my life and we have a beautiful son together.”
The couple first met when Sudo introduced herself and asked him to take a picture at the gym where they were working out before an eating competition. One year later, the duo reconnected when a mutual friend suggested they try dating.
“I thought she wouldn’t give me the time of day!” Wehry, who is ranked No. 4 in competitive eating worldwide, added in 2024. “But fortunately she did, and fast forward to now.”
Wehry opened up about his own accomplishments, adding, “I was a competitive bodybuilder for about 10 years and when that stopped I needed another outlet. My appetite was a running joke and somebody said, ‘You can raise money for charity, get free food, and win money.’ I am in, I am so in!”
How Does Miki Sudo Train for the Annual Event?
Miki Sudo with son Max. Kena Betancur/Getty Images
“I like to take care of myself, and for me, that includes a lot of cardio because it helps me build up my tolerance, especially for exerting all that energy outside under the New York sun,” Sudo told Newsweek in 2023. “Generally, I just try to take care of my health overall.”
Sudo noted at the time that she was trying to perfect her approach, adding, “I’m just kind of tweaking my technique to hopefully put up a higher number because I do not like my personal record. It’s just a very arbitrary kind of number. I’d like to hit 50. Really, I don’t even want to hang it up until I get to that 50 mark, and I don’t see why I couldn’t.”
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What Other Achievements Has Miki Sudo Accomplished?
Miki Sudo and Joey Chestnut at the National Chicken Wing eating contest on September 3, 2023. John Normile/Getty Images
Over the years, Sudo has competed in contests involving pies, cakes, chili, shrimp cocktails, turkey, gumbo, pasta, pumpkins, buffalo wings, tamales, tacos and more.