Competitive eater downs 63 hot dogs in ten minutes

Competitive eater Joey Chestnut has won the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest for the 15th time.

The event is held in New York every Independence Day, drawing competitors and fans from all over America.

Chestnut powered through 63 hot dogs and buns, short of the world record 76 he ate last year.

The victory came even as Chestnut recovers from injury, gobbling the frankfurters while wearing a surgical boot. The injury is unrelated to eating hot dogs.

Chestnut has held the title since 2007.

Women's world-record holder Miki Sudo made a triumphant return, winning the title after skipping last year because she was pregnant.

Sudo downed 40 hot dogs, short of her personal record of 48.

Sudo's son Max watched from the crowd, held by her husband Nathan Wehry, also a competitive eater she met at the contest in 2018.

Sudo then took hold of Max as Wehry competed in the men's contest.

The contest measures who can eat the most hot dogs in a ten-minute period.

Condiments are allowed on the hot dogs, but the competitors rarely eat them.

The event has been held most years since 1972, though promoter Morty Matz has made the spurious claim it dated back to 1916.

Competitors can be yellow-carded for messy eating, and partially-eaten frankfurters are measured.

Nathan's Famous is a fast food restaurant specialising in hot dogs which has been operating at Coney Island since 1916.