Rather than award the first cyclist to cross the finish line, the champion with the lowest "donut-adjusted time" is named the winner of the race.

"I was watching the Nathan’s contest in 2008, and I thought, ‘Wow, all I have to do is eat a bunch of hot dogs and I can be on ESPN?’" he told Mental Floss.

[8] He credits enlisting the help of a hypnotherapist as a key turning point in his success as a competitive eater.

[10] Salem owns 3 bicycles, and is known to use a Quintana Roo PR6 Ultegra Di2 with Reynolds Strike wheels for triathlons.

He currently serves as Director, Group Marketing at Hearst for Esquire, Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver, and Road &Track.

[26] Salem’s hobbies include growing and eating his own supply of organic fruits, vegetables, microgreens, and sprouts in his NYC home.