Spiedie-Eating Championship returns to Tioga Downs

The #1-ranked and #2-ranked competitive eaters Joey (Jaws) Chestnut and Matt Stonie will compete head-to-head at the fourth annual Tioga Downs World Chicken Spiedie-Eating Championship presented by Lupo’s on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The contest will take place trackside at Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols, N.Y.

The chicken spiedie is renowned throughout New York’s Southern Tier and claims Endicott as its birthplace. This sandwich is comprised of grilled, marinated chicken cubes on a bun and the term “spiedie” comes from the Italian spiedo, meaning spit or spiedini, referring to cubes or balls of meat cooked on a skewer. 

Tioga Downs started the spiedie-eating contest in 2014. 

 “We wanted to put a local spin on our competition, so we decided to go with chicken spiedies instead of hot dogs,” said Scott Freeman, president and general manager of Tioga Downs. “The contest has been a lot of fun the last three years and having the #1 and #2 competitive eaters will definitely raise the stakes.”

Sanctioned by Major League Eating, the 10-minute contest will feature Major League Eaters from around the country. At the 2016 contest, Matthew Stonie bested both Joey Chestnut and Carmen Cincotti in a heavyweight struggle. His total of 20 Lupo’s Chicken Spiedies in 10 minutes stands as a world record and is on the line at the 2017 Championship.

“The 2017 installment of The Tioga Downs World Chicken Spiedie Eating Championship Presented by Lupo’s will be the best yet,” says MLE Director of Operations Sam Barclay. “With the world’s top four eaters at the table this year, a new world record is all but guaranteed.”

Other Major League Eaters like #4-ranked Carmen Cincotti out of East Windsor, N.J.; #5-ranked Gideon Oji out of Morrow, Ga.; and #7-ranked Geoffrey Esper out of Oxford, Mass will be competing; all of whom recently competed at the Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest.

In addition to bragging rights, competitors will vie for a cash purse that totals $4,000.  

Tioga Downs Casino Resort is located at 2384 West River Road in Nichols, N.Y. More information on Tioga Downs is available at www.tiogadowns.com. For more details on chicken spiedies, visit www.spiedies.com. Information on Major League Eating can be found at www.majorleagueeating.com.