NEW YORK -- Joey Chestnut has reclaimed the top spot as winner of the annual hot dog eating contest in Coney Island after first tying with archrival Takeru Kobayashi in a 10-minute chow-down and then beating him in a 5-dog eat-off.

Both men tied at 59 frankfurters in 10 minutes, before being made to gobble another five dogs in a last-minute tiebreaker.

Kobayashi had hoped to reclaim the throne after suffering a disappointing loss last year. He reigned for six years.

Thousands gathered at Coney Island on the Fourth of July to watch the glutinous gladiators compete in the annual event. Chestnut emerged victorious, beating 20 others who had only 10 minutes to chow as many hot dogs as possible, two minutes less than in previous years.

The regulation time was changed after it was revealed that the original competition in 1916 was just 10 minutes long, instead of the 12-minute limit used in more recent years.