Tim Janus, 'Eater X' competitive eater and Amazing Race contestant, dies aged 49

Tim Janus, the competitive eater known as “Eater X” who competed alongside Joey Chestnut on The Amazing Race season 30, has died aged 49, Entertainment Weekly reports.

His death was confirmed in an article shared via Major League Eating this week. Janus died on 16 September “from complications following a long battle with cancer,” his publicist confirmed. The Sun also reports his death, noting the publicist confirmed it in an obituary issued on Monday.

Born 31 December 1976, Janus raced with Chestnut on the 2018 season of The Amazing Race, travelling through Iceland, Morocco and France before the pair were eliminated in eighth place, according to The Sun.

He spent 12 years on the professional eating circuit, from 2006 to 2018, becoming famous for painting a Viking mask on his face at competitions and rising to No. 2 in the world rankings behind Chestnut.

His titles included the world tiramisu-eating championship (4lbs in six minutes), the world ramen-eating championship (10.5lbs in eight minutes) and the world sushi championship (141 pieces of nigiri in six minutes). In 2012 he was crowned world burping champion with a burp lasting 18.1 seconds.

The Major League Eating article paid tribute: “Janus possessed a highly distinctive view of life and an appetite for the unusual that extended well beyond the competitive eating table.”

Sources

• Entertainment Weekly — “‘Amazing Race’ alum and professional eater Tim Janus dies at 49” — https://ew.com/tim-janus-dead-amazing-race-alum-professional-eater-12136519
• The Sun — “Amazing Race star Tim Janus aka ‘Eater X’ dead at 49 after cancer battle” — https://www.the-sun.com/tv/17046551/amazing-race-tim-janus-eater-x-dead-cancer/
• Wikipedia — Tim Janus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Janus