For the 11th straight year, the region's finest competitive eaters will converge at New York-New York Hotel & Casino for the highly anticipated Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Championship. The contest will be held Thursday, May 8 at 3 p.m. on the Brooklyn Bridge at New York-New York.  A special Heroes competition for charity will begin at 2:30 p.m.


The event is an official qualifying round of the Nathan's Famous worldwide hot dog eating circuit.  The winner will earn the right to represent the United States in the 92nd Annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest Friday, July 4 in Coney Island, N.Y.  Interested competitors must be 18 years of age or older and need to pre-register at www.NathansFamous.com or by calling Shea Communications at (212) 627-5766.


"Las Vegas historically has attracted the top talent in entertainment, and with the growth of this event the city now consistently attracts the top athletic talent in the eating world," said George Shea, chairman of the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE).


In 2007, Joey Chestnut of San Jose, Calif. won the Fourth of July contest, effectively ending former champion Takeru Kobayashi's six-year reign. Chestnut set a new world record by downing 66 Nathan's Famous hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes. Prior to Chestnut's victory, the event had been won by Japanese competitors from 2000 to 2006.


Wayne Norbitz, president and chief operating officer of Nathan's Famous, said, "The tradition of the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest epitomizes the joy and celebration of the Fourth of July. With the caliber of eaters competing in this regional, I believe that Las Vegas could be the proving ground from which this year's international champion emerges."


The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), the governing body of stomach-centric sport worldwide. The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held each year on July 4 since 1916. In addition to Las Vegas, regional qualifying competitions are taking place in cities around the world including Tokyo, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Norfolk, Pittsburgh and New York.


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