World Champion Chile Eating Contest

We went toe the Taste of DC today and witnessed a World Record Eating Competition. It was sponsored by Ben's Chili Bowl. The current world record was 1.5 gallons of chile in 6 minutes.

WASHINGTON - Joey Chestnut won the World Chili-Eating Championship Sunday at Taste of D.C. by downing two gallons of Ben's Chili Bowl chili in six minutes.

Chestnut was expected to eat nearly three gallons during the contest. He won a $3,000 cash prize and broke the world record.

Tim "Eater-X" Janus -- the number 3 ranked eater in the world -- and Bob "Notorious B.O.B." Shoudt -- the number 4 ranked eater in the world -- both ate one a half gallons of chili and tied for second.

Some had thought Shoudt, who holds the world record in chili spaghetti, would walk away with the title.

Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, the 105-pound eating phenom out of Alexandria, Va., ate 10 pounds of chili. She came in fourth place.

Thomas more recently took home the female champion title at the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest on July 4.

Chestnut was seeking redemption after losing to Thomas over Labor Day weekend in a buffalo-wing eating championship.

Juliet Lee, the 100-pound mom from Germantown, Md., also competed in Sunday's event.


Ben's Chili Bowl made more than 30 gallons of the contest. All competitors were required to use spoons during the event.

The inaugural event featured two days of contests -- an amateur championship on Saturday, featuring a field of amateurs selected from The Taste of DC crowd; and the World Championship on Sunday.

Sunday's event was a Major League Eating-sanctioned event.

Taste of D.C. is the area's largest food, wine, beer, and cultural festival. This year, attractions will serve up over 60 of the area's best eateries, wine and beer pavilions, musical acts, and a family-friendly zone.