熱狗
Spectators watch and cheer the eaters on from close proximity. A designated scorekeeper is paired with each contestant, flipping a number board (since 2020, adjusting the digital board) counting each hot dog consumed. Partially eaten hot dogs count and the granularity of measurement is eighths of a length. Hot dogs still in the mouth at the end of regulation count if they are subsequently swallowed. Yellow penalty cards can be issued for "messy eating," and red penalty cards can be issued for "reversal of fortune", which results in disqualification. If there is a tie, the contestants go to a 5-hot-dog eat-off to see who can eat that many more quickly. Further ties will result in a sudden-death eat-off of eating one more hot dog in the fastest time.