The smell of refried beans and hot sauce filled the air as the 11 hungry contestants prepared to challenge the capacity of their stomachs at Qdoba Mexican Grill on Thursday night.

Hosting their first burrito-eating contest, the restaurant opened the competition to the public with a formal start.

“We have done other things like, ‘make your own burrito,’ but this is the first competition event that we have had so far,” said coordinator Meghan Holefka.

Despite the fact that Qdoba, 1127 E. Grand River, did not pioneer this idea, Holefka says that with the entertainment it provided, customers enjoyed the contest nonetheless.

The level of commitment displayed by locals who signed up to try their skill at conquering the Qdoba burrito was serious as displayed by the expressions on their faces and the tension on the sidelines.

“The night before, I ate a lot of grapes and drank a ton of water,” Spanish and human resources senior Marco Broggio said.

He worked with his best friend, political theory senior Morgan Trinkaus, who served as his coach.

“I started off by drinking 8 liters of water a day,” East Lansing resident Jeremy Schaffer said.

“Plus I reduced my activity, I went into a hibernation-type mode,” he added.

Participants sat down in front of their first chicken burrito, weighing more than a pound and drenched in medium hot sauce. As they progressed to the second and third burrito, the sauce intensified from mild to extra hot.

Cheers of “it’s so hot” gaped out of the mouths of participants, as the food went in. Onlookers encouraged the competitors not to vomit as the race continued.

Contestants shifted uncomfortably in their seats as they quickly ate and glanced at the emergency buckets at their feet.

Finally, after much anticipation from the crowd, not one, but two winners emerged.

Both mechanical engineering senior William Wehb and food management junior Bryan Murphy took home $150.

“I didn’t even taste the hot sauce, I was well prepared and it felt good to win,” Murphy said.