Tim Janus, the colorful competitive-eating star known to fans as “Eater X” who later raced alongside Joey Chestnut on The Amazing Race, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 49.
Janus died Sept. 16 from complications related to cancer, according to an announcement from Major League Eating, which remembered him as one of the most recognizable personalities from competitive eating’s formative years.
The Connecticut native spent years near the very top of the unusual sport, at one point climbing to No. 2 in the world rankings behind Chestnut.
But Janus was never known simply for how much food he could put away.
He competed wearing elaborate Viking-style face paint, creating the mysterious “Eater X” character that made him instantly recognizable at contests across the country.
Janus collected an assortment of world titles during his career, including championships in tiramisu, ramen noodles and nigiri sushi.
Major League Eating records credit him with eating 10.5 pounds of ramen noodles in eight minutes and an astounding 141 pieces of nigiri sushi in just six minutes. He also ate four pounds of tiramisu in six minutes.
His success placed him alongside some of competitive eating’s biggest names, including Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi, Sonya Thomas and Patrick Bertoletti.
Janus also helped bring a bit of personality to what competitors drank during contests.
Major League Eating credits him with introducing what it called the “Alternative Beverage Movement,” which helped pave the way for competitors to keep drinks such as lemonade, iced tea or fruit punch at the table instead of relying exclusively on water.
His unusual career eventually carried him from the eating table to national television.
In 2018, Janus teamed up with Chestnut for Season 30 of CBS’ The Amazing Race. The pair competed as Team Chomp and were eliminated during the fourth leg of the race.
CBS records show that the season premiered Jan. 3, 2018, with contestants beginning their journey in New York City before traveling to Iceland.
Janus already had plenty of television experience by then.
He appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2009 and walked away with $100,000. He also competed on Cash Cab, where he won $1,600 and was described by Major League Eating as the biggest winner in the show’s history at the time.
His ambitions extended far beyond television and competitive eating.
Born in Simsbury, Connecticut, Janus graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in political science and public policy before eventually settling in New York City’s East Village.
Major League Eating said he had recently been accepted into the United States Foreign Service and had received an assignment that would have taken him abroad.
Those plans were interrupted by his illness.
The organization did not disclose what type of cancer Janus battled.
Friends remembered him as someone who seemed determined to experience life on his own terms.
Crazy Legs Conti, a fellow competitive eater, former world oyster-eating champion and Janus’ former roommate, said Janus pursued the things that fascinated him without worrying much about what others expected.
“He was unique, brilliant and beloved by his friends,” Conti said in the tribute. “He lived his life on his own terms.”
That adventurous streak reportedly took Janus far beyond game shows and eating contests.
According to Major League Eating, he once tracked crocodiles and snakes in Australia, appeared as a television weatherman and developed a reputation among friends for pursuing unusual experiences simply because they interested him.
His competitive-eating career ultimately earned him a spot in the Major League Eating Hall of Fame.
During his induction, Janus reflected on the unlikely lessons he took from years of eating enormous quantities of food in front of cheering crowds.
“I tell people that I learned a lot about life by eating hot dogs, and I mean it,” Janus said at the time.
Janus is survived by his mother, Lucinda Hannon; his father, Peter Janus; his stepmother, Nancy Janus; and his sister, Tess McNair.
A celebration of his life is planned for October in New York City, according to Major League Eating.