Los Banos man found passion for ultramarathons later in life. They’re ‘pretty fun’
What is the key to running an ultramarathon? For Los Banos resident James Thornton, it’s all about mind over matter. Or in this case, mind over body.
“Honestly, my body is always telling me to stop,” said Thornton, 49, who recently attempted to complete a 250-mile race in Arizona. “I’ve learned that you can just kind of tell your body, ‘This is what you need to do.’ I’ve learned to slow down. I don’t need to be the leader of the pack.
“My ultimate goal is to finish this.”
Thornton has finished quite a few ultra-distance events since he took up the sport a few years ago. In fact, the Cocodona 250 was the first race he has ever not finished. Thornton completed 190.6 miles and 25,890 feet of cumulative elevation gain during the event last week.
He pulled out of the race due to issues with his lungs. “I was taking in too much dust and pollen early in the race,” he said in a phone interview Thursday. “Ultimately, that was my demise.”
Thornton said he was diagnosed with pulmary adema and rhabdomyolysis, and called the conditions “an acceptable reason to quit.”
A passion for ultra-distance events
Unlike most ultramarathoners, Thornton is not a lifelong runner. In fact, he started only a few years ago.
“I was never a runner before,” he said. “I found ultra-running thanks to COVID. During COVID, I was starting to hike a lot and I kind of enjoyed the feeling I had when I was done with the hike. I started pushing myself to longer distances.”
Thornton’s first ultra event was a 50K (31-mile) Spartan race in San Luis Obispo. Spartan races are obstacle-course events “designed to test endurance, strength and mental grit through trail running combined with obstacles like fire jumps, barbed wire crawls and spear throws,” according to spartan.com.
He said he trained four to five months for it.
“It hurt so bad, my body hurt,” Thornton said. “But when I finished it, I was just blown away.”
He’s been hooked ever since.
In 2023, he competed in the 100K Lake Perris Ultra Marathon (62.13 miles) during a heat wave. He was one of four finishers out of more than 100 racers.
After years of racing “shorter” events, he eventually completed a 100-miler. He then decided to enter the lottery for the Cocadona 250.
“I thought to myself, ‘That sounds insane … I think the year I turn 50, I want to do it,’ ” Thornton said.
Hitting the lottery for Cocadona 250
Out of more than 10,000 entrants, Thornton was one of 410 people selected for the event.
He had family and friends travel with him to Arizona to help at rest stations and provide support along the way. His crew and pacer team included Didia Ramirez, Jessica Moran, Maria Ramirez, Brenda Ramirez and Rodolfo Maldonado.
Thornton said he was disappointed not to finish, but understands that his body just wasn’t up to it. He missed about six months of training due to knee surgery and didn’t have as much time to prepare as he needed.
“When I had to stop, I was really devastated,” he said. “I knew something was wrong. I don’t usually fail.”
Thornton was born in Florida but moved to California as a young child. He has lived in Los Banos since 2003.
He has worked as a glazier for Royal Glass Company in the Bay Area for 30 years. One of his most notable jobs was Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, which is home to the 49ers.
Thornton has a lot of support at home. He has been married for 12 years to his wife, Daisy, and they have six kids “in the Brady Bunch way,” he said.
Los Banos ultrarunner looks to the future
So, what’s next for Thornton’s ultrarunning?
He said he has already put his name in for the lottery for next year’s Cocodona 250. If he doesn’t get into that, he said there are some other 200-mile races that “look pretty fun.”
What does Thornton get from doing these events?
He said he really enjoys training and the races themselves are “the dessert.”
“The buildup to it is joyful,” he said.
And for the long-term future? He said he has no plans to quit doing ultramarathons any time soon. He has seen 60-year-olds, even a 70-year-old, on the ultramarathon courses.
“I’ll do it as long as my body holds up,” Thornton said. “If it’s still fun to me, I’ll do it.”
