Dave Kwiatkowski had been eyeing the Virginia Capital Trail’s Fastest Known Time (FKT) ever since his friend Josh Thomas set a new supported time record several years ago. But when Mike Wardian lowered the record again on March 7th, running the Trail in just 6 hours, 22 minutes, and 12 seconds, it gave Dave the push he needed to lace up and take his shot.
The idea of chasing the Capital Trail’s FKT wasn’t originally Dave’s. It actually started five years earlier during a Ragged Mountain Reservoir run with his dad and friend Josh Thomas.
“Josh was telling the tale of how he had previously set the supported FKT on the 51-mile, paved, flat course, from Richmond to Jamestown in 2021, beating the previous record by just 14 seconds (quite dramatic). I filed the notion away, but the idea was born again when Mike Wardian ran the Trail in March 2026, dropping the time to 6:22, almost a full hour faster than Josh.”
Living in Arlington and not being a Trail local, Dave had limited knowledge of the Trail, but that didn’t stop him. He drew strength from his family, who encouraged him every step of the way. His dad, Rick, rode beside him for all 51 miles, pacing, encouraging, and serving as race strategist from the saddle. His mom, Lisa, and fiancée, Elizabeth, leapfrogged ahead throughout the day, providing critical fuel, hydration, gels, and supplies. They became what Dave calls “a well-oiled machine.”
”I've run marathons, mountain races, backyard ultras, and have done other record attempts, but I am not a Capital Trail local. Living in Arlington, about 90 minutes north of the trailhead, I'd only been on the Trail a few times, but the idea of the fastest known time stuck with me. On May 9th, 2026, my family was the real story. The 5:35 a.m. start in Richmond was brisk, and I wore a light windbreaker for the first miles in the dark. My dad Rick, who is 60, was right there, riding alongside me for all 51 miles (that's just the kind of guy he is). He had a small speaker strapped to his bike playing rock and indie music.”
”The even splits we hit are probably more a credit to my dad than to my own pacing. For most of the day his main job was calling out from the bike to tell me to slow down whenever I pushed too hard. Meanwhile, my mom Lisa and my fiancée Elizabeth handled all the essential logistics, leapfrogging us in the car to meet us at road crossings and swap out fuel, gels, a mix of LMNT and Tailwind, and water. My dad would call ahead to have them prepare exactly what I needed next – a well oiled machine we created!”
As the miles ticked by, the temperatures started climbing. Dave ditched his windbreaker for a t-shirt around mile 10. With about 15 miles left and temperatures hitting 70 degrees, Dave soon lost the t-shirt as well. His attire wasn’t the only thing that changed throughout the day. The music evolved along the way; rock gave way to indie, then some "chill stuff" that Rick quickly vetoed as "too chill.” They finally settled on some pop and Deadmau5 electronic dance music.
“The last 10 miles, my dad finally stopped telling me to slow down. In the final three miles, he kept prompting me to kick, asking, "I wonder what this last mile is going to be," but I held back, nervous about pulling a muscle so close to the record. The real lifesaver, somewhere in those closing 10 miles, was my mom and Elizabeth improvising a flat Coke and handing it to me.”
Dave crossed into Jamestown in 6 hours, 4 minutes, and 51 seconds, setting a new Virginia Capital Trail FKT and shaving about 17 minutes off the previous record. As he crossed that final mile marker, Dave felt good. So good in fact, that he felt he could have kept going for a few extra miles (not faster, but further). Looking back, he wonders if fewer stops might have saved time and pushed him under six hours.
“With three instead of six, I think sub-6 hours is there. Someone will get it. This record will be broken sooner than later. It's probably enticing for people to dip under 6 hours. Feels inevitable.”
Records are meant to be broken, and Dave believes someone will eventually beat six hours. But this run will always be more than a fast day on the Trail. It was family, teamwork, determination, and 51 miles shared together on the Trail.
“In the end, it was a group effort. My dad rode a bike next to me for six hours through Virginia, and my mom and Elizabeth handled the essential logistics. When I stopped my watch, all I felt was gratitude for the people who made this record possible.”
Dave Kwiatkowski’s record-breaking run was impressive on its own, but it also captured something that makes the Virginia Capital Trail special: the people beside us. Whether it’s family, friends, fellow trail users, or the larger Trail community, milestones are often made possible and inspired by others.
Congratulations to Dave, Rick, Lisa, and Elizabeth on an incredible accomplishment! Thank you, Dave, for sharing your inspirational journey with us!
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