The 2013 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at high noon on the Fourth of July and, as per usual, Joey Chestnut entered as a huge favorite to have the most hot dogs (and buns!) eaten when the results were tallied. The American eater didn't disappoint his fans, either, as he consumed 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes to conquer the event for the seventh consecutive year. 
 
 Chestnut's win broke the record he held with Takeru Kobayashi, as each had six total championships heading into Thursday's event. He also broke his record of 68 hot dogs, too, after most recently resetting it at last year's competition. The fact that he was able to reach 69 dogs was a surprise, too, as the odds had Chestnut eating 63.5 HDB (hot dogs + buns, for those not familiar with the sport's technical terms). 
 
 Chestnut's closest competition was Matt Stonie with 51 hot dogs, though the competition in general has had a bit of a drop off behind Chestnut ever since Kobayashi stopped participating due to a contract dispute with Major League Eating. Tim Janus, better known as Eater X, finished third with 50 hot dogs. 
 
 Chestnut entered the contest as the top-ranked eater in the world, according to MLE's rankings, whereas Stonie was ranked fourth. The 21-year-old Stonie's claims to fame include eating 5.5 pounds of birthday cake in 8 minutes and 59 seconds as well as eating 30 "slugburgers" at something called "The World Slugburger Eating Championship" last July. 
 
 Sonja Thomas, better known as the Black Widow, was able to hold off upstart "The Lovely" Juliet Lee in the women's competition that was held earlier in the day. Thomas ate just shy of 37 hot dogs compared to Lee's even 36, securing herself as the only women's champion since the event was divided into separate divisions in 2011. 
 
 Sonya Thomas won by a quarter of a hot dog!! #myfoxny pic.twitter.com/XtiLGkD4pp — LidiaCuranaj (@LidiaFox5NY) July 4, 2013 
 
 The result of the women's competition was a bit disappointing, though, as Thomas set a record with 45 hot dogs last year -- over nine more than she was able to chow down on this year. 
 
 Now that everyone is done watching hot dogs, quickly read Spencer Hall's guide to enjoying fireworks like an American, watch Dan Rubenstein describe why the Fourth of July is the best (below) and then go out and enjoy the holiday with friends, family and festivities! ||||| CORRECTS POSITION OF THOMAS AND SUDO- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio watches hot dog eating contestants Sonya Thomas, left, and Miki Sudo, right, during a news conference to promote the upcoming Nathan's... (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW YORK (AP) — The Black Widow has been outeaten. 
 
 Three-time defending champion Sonya Thomas lost her hot dog eating title Friday to 28-year-old Miki Sudo of Las Vegas, who wolfed down 34 franks and buns in 10 minutes to win the women's division of the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. 
 
 The 47-year-old Thomas, a native of South Korea who now lives in Alexandria, Virginia, was only able to devour 27 3/4 hot dogs and buns. She scarfed down a record 45 dogs and buns last year. 
 
 The men's division will be held later Friday. 
 
 Joey Chestnut, a 30-year-old San Jose, California, man nicknamed Jaws, hopes to put away his competition by downing a record 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes in the raucous event held just steps from the beach. Last year, Chestnut won with 69 franks and buns. Matt Stonie, who was second in 2013 with 51 dogs, returns for another run at the top spot. 
 
 With Chestnut's seventh-straight victory last year, he bested his former rival, Takeru Kobayashi, with most consecutive wins. In 2010, Kobayashi refused to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating, the food equivalent of the NFL, and was banned from competition. 
 
 This year, the Japanese native nicknamed the Tsunami will compete against five other competitive eaters at a separate event on Fifth Avenue in a quest to down the most hot dogs without buns in 10 minutes. 
 
 Coney Island's top four competitors weighed in Thursday at a pre-contest event presided over by Mayor Bill de Blasio. 
 
 All the competitors said they were fasting, but Irish contestant Colin Shirlow grabbed a free hot dog during the weigh-in to get a first taste of the Nathan's Famous dogs they'll be gobbling down.
– Can no one stop the sausage-consuming juggernauts that are Joey Chestnut and Sonja Thomas? Chestnut not only won his seventh-consecutive title today at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, he set a new world record by scarfing down 69 hot dogs and buns during the ten minutes allotted, SB Nation reports. The total tops his own personal best of 68, a record he shared with absent archrival Kobayashi. Doubting oddsmakers had set his over/under at just 63.5 dogs. Thomas—aka "the Black Widow"—also kept her crown for another year, but just barely. Thomas managed just 36 and three-quarters dogs, narrowly edging out Juliet Lee, who devoured 36 even, the AP reports. Thomas, who has won every year since Nathan began holding a separate women's competition in 2011, ate a record 45 dogs last year.