Competitive eating couple Miki Sudo, Nick Wehry share gameplan after events

The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, held annually on the Fourth of July in Coney Island, is a tradition that brings Americans together. For proof of that, look no further than competitive eating couple, Mike Sudo and Nick Wehry.

Both Sudo and Wehry are going to compete in the hot dog eating contest again this year and Sudo has even won the title eight times, including last year. Meanwhile, Wehry is going to be going up against the champion eater Joey Chestnut.

To find success while eating, these competitors need a strategy. At the same time, to maintain a healthy relationship, the pair needs to have a strategy for spending time together after the event. More specifically, how the pair manages the bathroom.

“We force a lot of water, we stay away from each other,” Wehry said. “I don’t know what’s more unpleasant — our moods toward each other or the G.I. distress, but we do a good job of kind of avoiding both.”

Sudo added that it’s best to avoid one another following an eating contest. There are no hard feelings between the two when it happens, either.

“I don’t blame anybody for not wanting to be around me after I eat four dozen hot dogs and equally, I don’t really feel like being around him after he competes in events.”

Sudo is a name to watch during the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. She’s currently the top-ranked female competitive eater in the world and holds the hot dog record. That’s a mark, of 48.5, which she is working to break this year.

Meanwhile, Wehry is considered one of the eaters who has a shot to knock Chestnut from his throne. He has good odds to do that too. He’s the fourth-ranked in the world and beat Chestnut in a pistachio contest back in February, eating 188 pistachios in eight minutes.

Joey Chestnut on the key to break the hot dog eating record

Joey Chestnut takes pride in his hot dog eating record. It’s the most famous competitive food record that there is, and it’s from a very popular competition that’s become a sort of American tradition. He also, every year, has a chance to beat his own record.

As Chestnut explained, there is a key to beating the hot dog record.

“Fifty hotdogs in five minutes is really right there,” Chestnut said on a recent episode of Barstool’s “Pardon My Take.” “Sometimes, in my last minute, I’m [eating] six. Sometimes, I’m [eating] seven. If I’m at 65 [hotdogs eaten by Minute 8], it’s almost guaranteed that I’m gonna [break the record].”