How running has helped Joey Chestnut become a hot-dog-eating champion

On July 4, Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut devoured 62 hot dogs, securing his 16th victory in the Fourth of July Nathan’s Hot Dog eating competition on New York’s Coney Island. Known for his remarkable eating abilities, Chestnut follows a meticulously crafted training program to surpass his body’s physical limitations. In short, he trains with the same dedication as a marathon runner.

Chestnut told GQ Magazine that his training includes two months of “simulated contests,” in which he eats as if it were July 4. “It’s really just training to stave off nausea that a typical person would endure when their stomach gets full,” says Chestnut. “It’s similar to marathon training, when you are slowly ramping up. Hitting times and distances again and again.”

To understand the pain marathon runners go through, Chestnut, 39, took part in his first marathon at California’s Surf City Marathon in 2019, where he ran 5:02:44. “Eating hot dogs is like a marathon runner running,” Chestnut explained in Brooklyn Reporter in 2021. “Your body is telling you that it’s tired, but you ignore certain feelings at the end of the race.”

Not even a weather delay can stop Joey Chestnut 😤

He downs 62 hot dogs to claim his 16th Mustard Belt 🏆 pic.twitter.com/PbcOkt1gVc

— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2023

Besides using running as a way to work off the 17,000 calories of 62 hot dogs, it’s clear it can help the mental side of the sport too.