The field is shaping up for the World Chili Eating Championship at Taste of D.C. on Sunday. And Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas won’t be the only D.C.-area native in the contest.  Germantown’s Juliet Lee is also competing, according to her local Patch:

“Lee, a local hair stylist who moonlights as a competitive eater, recently placed sixth at the 2011 U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championship, having consumed 3.89 pounds of buffalo wings in 12 minutes, according to the official results.”

Meanwhile, the world’s No. 1 ranked eater Joey Chestnut tells Washingtonian that he’s been training for Sunday’s main event by eating up to two gallons at a time—-and it might take more than that to win! As the reigning hotdog-noshing champ points out, “There’s one guy from New York and another guy from Philadelphia who can both eat more than two-and-a-half gallons.”

Nazim Ali of Ben’s Chili Bowl, which is providing the meaty stew for the competition, may be understating it a bit when he tells WUSA-TV, “They’re going to tons of chili.” OK, maybe not tons. But, a lot. Watch the video here:

Photo of Joey Chestnut courtesy of Major League Eating