Tim Janus, Competitive Eating Champion and 'Amazing Race' Alum, Dies at 49
Janus, known as 'Eater X,' passed away after a battle with cancer.
Tim Janus, a renowned competitive eater and a participant on The Amazing Race, has died at the age of 49. His passing followed a lengthy battle with cancer, as confirmed by Major League Eating.
Known in the competitive eating circuit as "Eater X," Janus achieved a world ranking as high as second, trailing only Joey Chestnut. He was also Chestnut's teammate on The Amazing Race 30, where they finished in eighth place. Janus held multiple championship titles, including those for world champion in tiramisu eating, ramen eating, and nigiri sushi eating. He also competed in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest numerous times, securing a second-place finish behind Chestnut in 2010.
Janus's passion for eating extended beyond competition. He once told Food Republic in 2015, "I'd eat a roll of pennies if I thought I could set a world record, taste doesn't matter. I'd like to eat everything in the world at least once. I'd eat alien if we could find it. If we could raise dinosaurs, I'd sign up to eat those."