In just a few weeks, Alaskan bears will compete for the title of the heftiest bear as “Fat Bear Week” returns to Katmai National Park for its 11th annual event.

This National Park Service event runs from September 23 to 30 and seeks to identify the plumpest of the bruins, as the bears bulk up in preparation for their winter hibernation.

The competition, which is broadcast live to showcase a dozen Alaskan brown bears contending for the crown, doesn’t reward the winning bear with a prize. Nonetheless, many enthusiastic spectators occasionally place bets on who will win.

The showdown is entirely in the hands of people voting online, with windows open all week from noon to 9 p.m.

“From tubby titans to gargantuan gluttons, get ready to cheer for the heftiest bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve’s Brooks River!” park officials wrote in a post on social media.

The participating bears have already started packing on the pounds for hibernation in November. During this period, Alaskan brown bears can reach up to 1,200 pounds, adding around four pounds a day.

However, scientists can only make a rough estimate about the competitors’ weight, since the entire contest is done observationally without interactions with the bears’ diets or environments.

Eight cameras are set up in their habitat, including at the falls with an underwater salmon camera to keep an eye out for fresh meals. Many of the bears gather at the park’s Brooks River, which is teeming with sockeye salmon through the end of October.

Fat Bear Week was started by Mike Fitz, a retired ranger at the sprawling park, in 2014. It was originally held for just one day, but quickly grew to a week and even spawned a cub-oriented spinoff.

The 2024 bracket’s announcement was delayed after a fatal fight broke out between a planned participant and another bear.

Last year’s Fat Bear Week winner was “Grazer 128,” who was also caring for a cub at the time. The hulking bear trounced “32 Chunk.”

The cub competition, Fat Bear Junior, will be held from Sept. 18 to 19.