<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - How Americans celebrated Fourth of July across the country"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Joey Chestnut devoured 57 hot dogs and buns Thursday in a five-minute exhibition at Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso, Texas on the Fourth of July.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">That fell one shy of the winning total of the men's 10-minute Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island from which Chestnut was banned this year.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“I was hustling at the beginning,'' Chestnut said after consuming the 57 hot dogs and buns. "I slowed down a little bit. For a second I thought I might be able to hit 60.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“I wasn’t holding back."</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/07/04/nathans-hot-dog-eating-contest-2024-results/74279491007/" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Pat Bertoletti ate 58 hot dogs</a> at Nathan's contest earlier in the day to win the Mustard Belt awarded to the champion. He was one of four competitors this year to eat 50 or more dogs – something no one did last year when Chestnut won his 16th title with 62 hot dogs.</p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">"Those guys did great!" Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports by text message. "A lot better than last year. I'm really happy for Pat."</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><em>The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.</em><a target="_blank" href="https://app.adjust.com/1el9h6z4" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-t-l=":b|z|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a"><em>Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more</em></a><em>.</em></p><figure class="gnt_em gnt_em_img"><img class="gnt_em_img_i" style="height:441px" fetchpriority="high" data-g-r="lazy" data-gl-src="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/07/04/USAT/74304026007-joey-0704.jpg?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp" data-gl-srcset="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/07/04/USAT/74304026007-joey-0704.jpg?width=1320&height=882&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp 2x" decoding="async" alt="Competitive eater Joey Chestnut, right, celebrates after eating 13 olive burgers in five minutes before a minor league baseball game at Jackson Field in Lansing, Michigan on Aug. 10, 2023."/></figure><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">While preparing for the exhibition in El Paso, Chestnut, 40, set the goal: eat more hot dogs and buns in five minutes than the Nathan’s winner ate in 10 minutes.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/07/03/joey-chestnut-hot-dog-eating-contest-nathans/74282210007/" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">"I'd be very happy to do that,"</a> said Chestnut, who in 2021 set the Nathan's record with 76 hot dogs and buns.</p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Chestnut was barred from competing this year because he signed an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods. The company launched a plant-based hot dog and Nathan’s views...</p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/07/04/joey-chestnut-nearly-outeats-nathans-winner-army-base/74297687007/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
