They almost always walk
72%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 13 of 18 contests
A top-10 category call in 72% of their 18 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
RIB RUNNERS
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1510
peak 1530 · rated over 18 contests ⓘ
Contests
18
in the data
First seen
2013-06-14
latest 2017-06-16
Best ToY finish
#488
Master 2013
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
4 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
of 18 contests
Avg finish
top 53%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
655.09 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 657.45 (-2.37)
Walk rate
72%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±12.87
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.17 · weakest Brisket (159.82)
Road miles
1,200
mi across 18 mapped stops · furthest 124 mi
Schedule strength
40%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1552)
Master avg
657.45 / 720
18 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (11 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
High-water mark
684.5484
career-best overall
95.1% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 684.5484 at The River Grill before the Big Chill — 95.1% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2014-10-10
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
WHISKEY WHISKERS BBQ COMPANY has finished one call ahead of RIB RUNNERS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2013
their best year
2013 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 35%.
- 5 contests
- 2 overall top-10s
- 1 category wins
- average top 35%
A tough matchup
13–0
behind in the head-to-head
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ has come out ahead in 13 of their 13 shared contests.
The weak link
−6.3
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.35 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 22%.
- Brisket avg 159.82
- Chicken avg 166.17
- 2 calls in 18 entries
A strong matchup
9–3
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 75% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of ACME BBQ in 9 of their 12 shared contests.
Chicken nemesis
9 of 12
shared chicken entries lost
THUNDER HOG BBQ ahead 75% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, THUNDER HOG BBQ has out-cooked them in 9 of 12 shared chicken entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
HOGAHOLICS has landed one call behind them 2 times.
The metronome
±1.79%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.79% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 91.3% of a perfect score
- 18 contests
A standing appointment
5
years running at one contest
They've cooked *Smoke on the Square: In memory of David Harness every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.
- 5 visits in all
- best finish 8th
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
98 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2834 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1542
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to RIB RUNNERS)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team RIB RUNNERS has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2835 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1533
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 18, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#2837 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1523
No shared contest yet.
24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#2836 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1544
No shared contest yet.
They've been 1544 at their best, 34 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#2842 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1509
No shared contest yet.
Level with RIB RUNNERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#2839 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1514
No shared contest yet.
They turned up 10 years after RIB RUNNERS did, first appearing in 2023.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ACME BBQ | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| THUNDER HOG BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| WeQ4U | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| YELLOW RIVER BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| Extra Mile BBQ | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| HUG HOGS | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| GREY STREET BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ABLE ACRES BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| LITTLE BOB'S BBQ | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Making Meat BBQ | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE-N-PEPPERS | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 18 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 173.7028 | 157.6568 | 166.17 | top 49% |
| Pork Ribs | 18 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 179.4286 | 150.2628 | 165.41 | top 47% |
| Pork | 18 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 172.5484 | 156.5484 | 166.05 | top 43% |
| Brisket | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 173.1544 | 150.7772 | 159.82 | top 60% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN | 17 | 0 | top 55% |
| OH | 1 | 0 | top 27% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 0 | top 63% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 37% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Smoke on the Square: In memory of David Harness | 5 | 8 | 0 | top 52% | 2017-06-16 |
| Wine,Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! | 3 | 13 | 0 | top 52% | 2016-07-15 |
| *Balloons, Blues & BBQ | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 70% | 2016-09-09 |
The story so far (15 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4 yrs
2013-06-14 → 2017-06-16
Busiest season
2016
5 contests
Contests a season
3.6
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IN
17 of 18 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
11
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
18 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 166.17 · weakest Brisket (159.82)
Walk rate
72%
a top-10 call in 13 of 18 contests
Overall top-10 rate
11%
2 of 18 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight contests
Master average
657.45
out of 720 · 18 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
327
364–337 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
1,200
18 mapped stops · furthest 124 mi
Schedule strength
1552
average field rating faced — tougher than 40% of rated contests
Power rating
1510
peak 1530 · #2840 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2013
- First tracked contest Smokin' on the River
- First call Smokin' on the River
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Smokin' on the River
- First overall top-10 Smokin' on the River
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score680.5710 Smokin' on the River
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)179.4286 Smokin' on the River
- Peak power rating (1530) Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too!
- 2014
- Career-best overall score684.5484 The River Grill before the Big Chill
- 2015
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness
- 2017
- Most recent contest *Smoke on the Square: In memory of David Harness
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +12.7 | Smokin' on the River | 2013-06-14 |
| +8.8 | Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! | 2013-07-19 |
| +8.4 | Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness | 2013-06-28 |
| +5 | The River Grill before the Big Chill | 2014-10-10 |
| +5 | Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness | 2015-06-26 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.6 | Rockin' BBQ for Riley | 2015-05-08 |
| -7.5 | Wine,Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! | 2016-07-15 |
| -5.5 | Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness | 2014-06-27 |
| -4.7 | *Smoke on the Square: In memory of David Harness | 2017-06-16 |
| -4.1 | Marshall County | 2013-09-20 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 65% | 90.6% | 90.6% |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60% | top 64% | 92.9% | 91.4% |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 65% | 92% | 90% |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 47% | 95.1% | 92.7% |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 80% | top 35% | 94.5% | 91.5% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-06-16 | *Smoke on the Square: In memory of David Harness Franklin, IN | 18 / 25 (652.4688) | 17 (165.6800) | 19 (159.9772) | 7 (170.2972) | 24 (156.5144) |
| 2017-04-07 | *CCS Fest Indianapolis, IN | 26 / 45 (652.4228) | 28 (161.6800) | 24 (162.8228) | 26 (163.9772) | 24 (163.9428) |
| 2016-09-09 | *Balloons, Blues & BBQ Bloomington, IN | 14 / 20 (658.1828) | 11 (169.1312) | 9 (167.4172) | 8 (165.0972) | 15 (156.5372) |
| 2016-08-19 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval Madison, IN | 29 / 63 (669.0172) | 22 (170.8228) | 28 (166.8344) | 23 (169.1200) | 35 (162.2400) |
| 2016-07-15 | Wine,Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN | 34 / 39 (643.3372) | 22 (165.7028) | 34 (160.5488) | 25 (163.9772) | 36 (153.1084) |
| 2016-07-08 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN | 18 / 30 (655.3252) | 25 (157.6568) | 8 (169.7372) | 3 (172.5484) | 23 (155.3828) |
| 2016-06-24 | Smoke on the Square: In memory of David Harness Franklin, IN | 17 / 31 (662.7772) | 25 (162.8000) | 6 (173.1428) | 19 (165.6800) | 20 (161.1544) |
| 2015-09-12 | Balloons, Blues & BBQ Bloomington, IN | 16 / 23 (649.6116) | 6 (171.9888) | 9 (170.2972) | 18 (156.5484) | 22 (150.7772) |
| 2015-06-26 | Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness Franklin, IN | 14 / 34 (662.2284) | 3 (173.7028) | 28 (152.5256) | 9 (170.8228) | 16 (165.1772) |
| 2015-05-08 | Rockin' BBQ for Riley Warsaw, IN | 23 / 27 (633.1200) | 9 (166.8800) | 25 (154.2628) | 20 (160.0000) | 21 (151.9772) |
| 2014-10-10 | The River Grill before the Big Chill Cincinnati, OH | 13 / 49 (684.5484) | 21 (167.4056) | 6 (177.1428) | 28 (166.8456) | 9 (173.1544) |
| 2014-07-18 | Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN | 24 / 51 (663.3144) | 15 (172.0000) | 12 (169.7144) | 24 (165.0972) | 37 (156.5028) |
| 2014-06-27 | Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness Franklin, IN | 23 / 34 (654.2056) | 18 (167.9772) | 33 (150.2628) | 7 (170.8228) | 15 (165.1428) |
| 2013-09-20 | Marshall County Plymouth, IN | 17 / 27 (639.9084) | 19 (157.6684) | 20 (157.0972) | 8 (166.8456) | 13 (158.2972) |
| 2013-08-16 | Madison Ribberfest: Barbeque & Blues Madison, IN | 29 / 60 (644.5028) | 39 (158.8456) | 21 (165.6800) | 25 (162.2628) | 31 (157.7144) |
| 2013-07-19 | Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN | 13 / 57 (662.2972) | 26 (163.9656) | 14 (165.7144) | 8 (168.0228) | 17 (164.5944) |
| 2013-06-28 | Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness Franklin, IN | 8 / 32 (666.2860) | 10 (169.1428) | 2 (174.8574) | 11 (168.0000) | 23 (154.2858) |
| 2013-06-14 | Smokin' on the River Jeffersonville, IN | 7 / 52 (680.5710) | 17 (168.0000) | 1 (179.4286) | 30 (162.8568) | 8 (170.2856) |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1602 (145 pts) | #1657 (150 pts) | #1683 (145 pts) | #1359 (215 pts) | #1794 (120 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #867 (406 pts) | #960 (376 pts) | #704 (571 pts) | #688 (586 pts) | #966 (361 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1094 (269 pts) | #706 (534 pts) | #1256 (244 pts) | #1100 (304 pts) | #1240 (239 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1647 (149 pts) | #1370 (219 pts) | #1448 (199 pts) | #1289 (244 pts) | #1500 (184 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #488 (634 pts) | #687 (479 pts) | #357 (859 pts) | #556 (594 pts) | #595 (539 pts) |