WASHINGTON — Z-Burger has held an annual burger eating competition for 14 years and on Monday the reigning champ claimed her ninth trophy.
In front of a large, cheering crowd, Molly Schuyler, 43, devoured 34 burgers in 10 minutes at the Tenleytown location in Northwest, D.C. to take home the top prize in the "Z-Burger Independence Burger Eating Championship." The mom of four from Harwood, Maryland took home $2,000.
In second place, Dan “Killer” Kennedy downed 32 hamburgers in 10 minutes to earn his fifth runner-up title in 14 years. His best finish was in 2021, when he claimed the title with Schuyler. Kennedy, the #4 ranked competitive eater in the world, pocketed $1,250.
Canada’s top-ranked competitive eater Joel Hansen returned for his second visit to D.C., and once again finished in third place. He added an additional burger to his total, with 27 burgers earning him $1,000 prize money.
In fourth place for the third straight year was Andrew Puhl, who ate 26 burgers and took home $750 in prize money. Sean Yeager claimed fifth place with 25 burgers and pocketed $500. Sixth place was claimed by first-time competitive eating entry Robert McGee with 13 burgers eaten and $400 to take back home to New York.
“The Z-Burger Independence Day Burger Eating Contest is truly a major event on the competitive food eating landscape, each year adding exciting new elements for the crowds and the competitors,” said Peter Tabibian, owner of four Z-Burger retail locations and the Z-Burger food truck. “We are thrilled to once again welcome a full field of competitors and an enthusiastic crowd of spectators. There’s always great anticipation leading up to our event, with inquiries from across the country from many of those within the competitive eating community. They consider us one of the real ‘go-to’ events of the year.”
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