Hot dogs on Route 66
A Chicago, Illinois, man who won the 2024 Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest triumphed over seven other contestants to win the inaugural Mother Road Festival Cozy Dog Eating Championship on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Springfield, Illinois. Patrick Bertoletti ate 51 Cozy Dogs in 10 minutes to win $2,500 in the Cozy Dog Eating Championship in Springfield. Darrien Thomas of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consumed 37 ½ Cozy Dogs for second place and a prize of $1,250. Jerome Burns of Danbury, Connecticut, ate 25 dogs for a third-place prize of $600. Semora Kludy of Charlotte, Michigan, consumed 15 ½ dogs for the $400 fourth-place price. More here .