http://burgerdays.com

If you have an aversion to disgusting displays of gluttony involving copious amounts of meat, you best stay away from Tenleytown today. For the sixth straight year, D.C.'s Z-Burger is hosting their Independence Burger Eating Championship which pits some of the biggest eaters in the world against a never-ending stack of ground beef. It's a sight to behold. A nauseating, revolting, vomit-inducing sight, but a sight none the less. Last year's champion, Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, is, incredibly, still alive and back to defend his greasy crown after downing 28 goddamn hamburgers in 2013. But looking to knock Bertoletti from his perch is a motley crew of competitors with an assortment of colorful nicknames reminiscent of professional wrestlers or Prohibition-era mobsters. Featured eaters Thursday include last year's runner-up and our buddy, Jamie "The Bear" McDonald, Dale "Mouth of the South" Boone (who almost purged during the competition in 2013), "Gentleman" Joe Menchetti, Kyle "The Hammer" Hanner, Arlington's own Ian "The Invader" Hickman and, the number-one ranked competitive eater in the world, Molly Schuyler, whose resume includes downing 40 bratwursts in eight minutes. Sadly, Burger Days representative Adam Chandler, still recovering from the seven burgers he ate in 2013, will not be competing again. The person who swallows the most burgers in 10 minutes will take home $1,500 with second place winning $850. Third places nets $500, fourth gets $400 while fifth and sixth place get $300 and $200 worth of Z-Burger grub. If somehow, you can manage to watch grown men and women shovel obscene portions of ground beef into their faces and keep your appetite, you'll get a free burger for your trouble until 2 p.m. Thursday. Z-Burger's sixth-annual Independence Day Burger Eating Championship begins at noon, July 3, at the chain's Tenleytown location. Z-Burger | 4321 Wisconsin Ave. NW | DC | zburger.com