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But the matzo ball event event was more for charity (and, of course, publicity for Ben's), raising $10,000 for the Interfaith Nutrition Network, an organization that fights famine.

But the big bucks are out there. The Glutton Bowl will offer eating challenges with a $25,000 top prize.

Now, guys like Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, who won a contest last year by inhaling a 17-inch pizza in three minutes, can't get over the recognition he's getting.

"In the last year, I've traveled all over the country, and I can't believe how many people have come up to me and said, 'Aren't you that food guy?'"

Some people may not have wanted to stand too close to Jed Donahue after he ate 152 jalapeño peppers in 15 minutes. Still, fame comes in strange ways these days.

The Hot Dog Augusta

The IFOCE has a mandate to keep the sport clean and verify records. "Nobody has ever been hospitalized at one of our events," Shea says. "There's an EMT there, just like a football game."

Shea and his brother got involved as the governing body of food fests 15 years ago, but the Nathan's contest has been running since 1916. There are now more than 300 registered IFOCE members.

And many of those members are multifaceted. Jarvis and Lerman, for instance, are "cross-eaters" who gorge themselves at many different types of eating contests. The 2002 IFOCE calendar includes events for chicken wings, matzo balls, jalapeño peppers, oysters, burritos, onions, pickles and hamburgers.

But the hot dog contest is still "our Augusta, our big tournament," Shea says.

With the sport now coming into its own, here's a look at some of the prominent "athletes."

Big Names in Gluttony

Donald "Moses" Lerman: The reigning hamburger champ and former matzo ball champ is 5-foot-8 and weighs 185 pounds.

Family Status: Single. Training: Lerman drinks a gallon of water in 2 ½ minutes. Inspiration: "It's the recognition, not the money. It's the pat on the back from friends and family." Advice: "You don't have to be a big fat slob. I weighed just 145 until I started training for ice cream and french fries. And I'll lose that weight again." Greatest Moment: "When the press gathered around after the matzo ball contest, it was like a presidential press conference." Realization of Eating Greatness: "As a kid, we'd go to all-you-can-eat hotel restaurants in the Catskills and I'd be the last to leave. No buffet ever made a cent off me."