Las Vegas Weekly

May 13, 2009 · 7:49 AM

Photo Gallery: Can you devour 26 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes?

By Robin Leach

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest winner Richard LeFevre.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

The clock was set to tick down for 10 minutes. The competitors, all major league eaters, had a simple but messy task: Eat as many hot dogs in that time span as possible without having heartburn or other consequences. It was the 12th Annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Championship qualifying round at New York-New York.

Our contributing photographer Erik Kabik was up close for this extraordinary set of photos, and apologies if they make your own stomach a little squeamish!

Our local defending champion Richard LeFevre, 63, won again with 26 hot dogs and buns demolished in the 10 minutes. Ron Koch finished in second place with 23 devoured dogs.

A team of girls from the Palomino Club also took part, and although collectively they got through 30 dogs in 10 minutes, an ESPN Zone team from the Sahara defeated them!

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Our winners will go to Coney Island in New York this Fourth of July weekend to take part in the 94th Annual International Championship, where the record is double what they ate. They’ll have to beat Joey Chestnut, who triumphed over six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi, eating 59 hot dogs in the 600 seconds of competition!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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