Hot Dog Eating Champ Retains Title In Eat-Off

July 4, 2008 7:14 p.m. EST

Brooklyn, NY (AHN) - Six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi had to swallow his pride as well as frankfurters Friday when he failed to topple Joey Chestnut as the reigning hot dog-eating champ.

Chestnut retained the title he won in last year's hot dog eating contest by gulping down five dogs in an eat-off. He beat out 20 other contestants in the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest held in the Coney Island section of this New York borough.

Chestnut and Kobayashi had tied at 59 dogs apiece in the 10-minute main event.

Kobayashi lost his title to Chestnut last year by three wieners.

A co-founder of the International Federation of Competitive Eating, Richard Shaw, said he believed it was the first time the contest had gone into overtime.

For his part, Chestnut won $10,000 and a mustard-colored belt.