Joey Chestnut returns to Toronto aiming to top his poutine record

# What's happening Joey Chestnut is back in Toronto to defend the Smoke's Poutinerie World Poutine Eating Championship. He says he isn't just defending his title — he wants to beat his previous totals. Last year he ate 26.5 pounds of poutine in the contest. His personal best at this event is 28.5 pounds, set in 2019.

# Why it matters here Chestnut is the top name in competitive eating. He holds 55 world titles, including 18 wins at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and nine rib-eating championships. His results at poutine contests can set the tone for the event and draw fans to Sankofa Square, where this year's contest starts at 3:30 p.m.

# What Chestnut says about poutine Chestnut told the Toronto Sun that poutine "slides down, with the right amount of gravy." He said potatoes suit him — real potatoes, fries, or mashed — and that he's never lost a contest involving potatoes. He described finding a rhythm, the right swallow and remembering to breathe as keys to higher totals.

# Conditions that change outcomes Chestnut pointed to food temperature as a practical variable. If gravy and fries get cold — for instance, because a contest is delayed or the weather is cooler — the food becomes harder to swallow quickly and totals drop. The forecast mentioned for contest day was mostly cloudy and around 20C.

# Where his recent form stands Chestnut acknowledged he's a bit slower than before but still capable of high totals. He said hitting more than 23 pounds would likely put him far ahead of competitors, and he'd like to get closer to 28 pounds. His recent competition results include swallowing 66 hot dogs in July to win Nathan's and sustaining a run of consecutive Nathan's titles that reached back-to-back wins starting in 2025.

# How he manages the mental side Chestnut described working through fatigue during contests: when the brain tells the stomach to stop, he keeps going rather than giving in to a break. That mental approach factors into pushing past limits during the 10-minute eating window used in these contests.

# Event details and context

# Bottom line Chestnut is the favorite and the headline competitor. His target is to improve on last year's 26.5 pounds and approach or exceed his 2019 mark of 28.5 pounds. Temperature, timing and his internal rhythm will be the concrete factors that determine whether he reaches that goal.