PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Sixty-eight hot dogs in 10 minutes! That’s the world record in Nathan’s Fourth of July competition on Coney Island.

Ahead of the big showdown, Pittsburgh played host Wednesday in Market Square to a regional contest to qualify.

The winner will compete on Coney Island for a belt made in Latrobe.

“Last year, they started a women’s division, so now I make two belts – a mustard yellow belt and a pink belt for the women,” said Andrew Lazarchik, of Wildcat Champion Belts.

Electricity passed through the growing crowd in Market Square. Among the competitors, a husband and wife team from Johnstown.

Big Brian Zubich has been here before, but wife Theresa has not.

“I don’t know if any other women are in the competition today, but I hope they’re ready because she’s been trained by a professional,” said Zubich of his wife.

“I’ve been watching for five years, so I think I know a little bit about the technique,” said Zubich. “So, I hope I do well.”

And they were off. Soak the bun, and down the dog. Chewing is optional.

Micah Collins of Drexel “relish”ed his lead, but could Big Brian “ketchup”?

A nine dog afternoon wins it for Theresa, but she was the only woman competing, to be frank.

Big Brian downed 26 and a half. But Micah’s 27 was the winner.

“He’s been pushing me for years,” said Collins. “We’ve been right around each other, number-wise. And I happened to come up on the better side of it today.”

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