Pyth, 14 12

.bmYN.mhbrQ8 

Test Suite

2 bytes thanks to Jakube!

Unfortunately, run length decoding seems not to work with integers, so I manually implemented it. Apparently it will work with a minor workaround, but that makes it the same length as the manual implementation:

mr]d9.mhbrQ8 

Credit to Jakube for finding this out.

Pyth, 14 12 11

mM_MmhbrQ8 

Test Suite

2 bytes thanks to Jakube! And 1 byte thanks to isaacg!

Unfortunately, run length decoding doesn't quite do what we want it to do, but it will work with a minor workaround, but that makes it slightly longer than the manual implementation:

mr]d9.mhbrQ8 

Credit to Jakube for finding this out.

Pyth, 14 12

.bmYN.mhbrQ8 

Test Suite

2 bytes thanks to Jakube!

Unfortunately, run length decoding seems not to work with integers, so I manually implemented it.

Pyth, 14 12

.bmYN.mhbrQ8 

Test Suite

2 bytes thanks to Jakube!

Unfortunately, run length decoding seems not to work with integers, so I manually implemented it. Apparently it will work with a minor workaround, but that makes it the same length as the manual implementation:

mr]d9.mhbrQ8 

Credit to Jakube for finding this out.

Pyth, 14

mmedhdh.ghkrQ8 

Test Suite

Pyth's "group by" function .g also sorts by the grouping key, so the group with the shortest run length encoding is always first. Unfortunately, run length decoding seems not to work with integers, so I manually implemented it.

Pyth, 14 12

.bmYN.mhbrQ8 

Test Suite

2 bytes thanks to Jakube!

Unfortunately, run length decoding seems not to work with integers, so I manually implemented it.