Love can thrive anywhere, even in the competitive eating world. Just look at Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry, who have been together since 2019.
The No. 3 and No. 4 competitive eaters in the world per Major League Eating's rankings, Sudo and Wehry will take the stage, one after another, in the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at New York's Coney Island.
Sudo looks to defend her 2023 women's title and earn her 10th belt while Wehry looks for his first men's title with Joey Chestnut out of the picture. This competitive eating power couple will stuff more hot dogs down their throats on the Fourth of July than several families combined, but at least they'll be doing it together.
The Sporting News has everything you need to know about Sudo and Wehry's relationship as well as their statuses for this year's competition.
MORE: Everything you need to know about Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Miki Sudo-Nick Wehry relationship, explained
Sudo and Wehry met in 2018 in a gym on the morning of a hot dog eating contest, and they started dating the following year.
In April 2021, Wehry ate 50 eggs in just over 3 minutes to claim another world record and then immediately dropped to one knee and proposed to Sudo. She missed the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest that same year while pregnant with their son Max. Wehry also has two children from a previous relationship.
Following their first season as a couple and training together, Sudo and Wehry set personal bests in Nathan's 2020 competition, including Sudo's world record of 48.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes. They ate a combined 88 hot dogs that year to beat out the couples record previously held by Major League Eating No. 1 Joey Chestnut and his former girlfriend Neslie Ricasa.
MORE: Full list of Joey Chestnut's competitive eating world records
Are Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry competing in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest this year?
Both Sudo and Wehry will compete in their respective women's and men's eat-offs at the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Sudo is vying for her 10th belt in 10 appearances, while Wehry is trying to win his first title in the absence of Chestnut. Chestnut, a 16-time winner of the event, is not competing due to a sponsorship dispute, leaving the field wide open.
Sudo will have a dedicated camera focused on her on ESPN3 during the women's competition, which is set for 11 a.m. ET following the start of the telecast at 10:45 a.m. ET. Geoffrey Esper will have the solo cam on the men's side, which will air on ESPN2 starting at noon ET, but Wehry will challenge for the title.
In 2023, Wehry came in fourth on the men's side with 45 hot dogs, while Sudo finished first on the women's side with 39.5.
MORE: Why isn't Joey Chestnut competing in 2024 Nathan's contest?
Miki Sudo hot dog eating record
Sudo is a nine-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, having won every year in which she has competed since 2014. The 38-year-old is the third all-around best eater in the world and the top woman eater in the world, according to Major League Eating's rankings.
In 2020, she earned the women's world record, eating 48.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the Coney Island contest. She skipped the competition the following year due to her pregnancy, but returned to win in 2022 and 2023.
Here is her yearly hot dog consumption at Nathan's since she began competing.
| Year | Hot dogs consumed |
| 2014 | 34 |
| 2015 | 38 |
| 2016 | 38.5 |
| 2017 | 41 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2019 | 31 |
| 2020 | 48.5 |
| 2021 | Did not compete |
| 2022 | 40 |
| 2023 | 39.5 |
