Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th: See the Faces of Competition Through the Years

Who wants to take the subway home with these guys after the fact?

In 2018, Joey Chestnut set a record with 74 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes that day (he is the winningest competitor ever, with 13 titles as of 2020).

Matt Stonie on his way to a second-place finish.

One competitor clearly had her game face on.

Takeru Kobayashi is another formidable opponent and often one of the "ones to beat" — is it any wonder, with a training regimen like this?

See all those cups? They're for dipping the buns in water to make them easier to digest.

Like any athletic competition, at least 50 percent of the game is mental.

The sweet taste of victory?

The agony of defeat?

Max Suzuki knows it's all about the laser focus.

Juliet Lee does her thing in a qualifying round (bet you didn't know there were qualifying rounds!).

Remember, contestants only have 10 minutes to down as many franks as they can in front of a roaring crowd.

Miki Sudo has been a champ in the women's division — she won in 2019 and again (with 48.5 finished) in 2020.

Some contestants hope a little pizzazz will put them over the top.

No excuses; play like a champion.

We think this beard might be an occupational hazard.

There's definitely blood (well, ketchup), sweat and tears that go into this match.

In 2020, Joey Chestnut broke his own record again when he put away 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes (a total of 21.750 calories. Can he top himself this year?