Palo Alto Cyclist's RACE ACROSS AMERICA Premieres At Napa Valley Film Fest

A remarkable effort by a Palo Alto man is the subject of a film to be featured in the 2021 Napa Valley Film Festival. "Until the Wheels Come Off" depicts a fifty-year old cyclist who, in an effort to raise funds for cancer research, enters one of the most grueling ultra-endurance events in the world: Race Across America (RAAM).

Riders travel from coast to coast, through searing desert and over mountain ranges, in a brutally taxing challenge that is 30% longer than the Tour de France and accomplished in half the time. With his family and friends serving as support crew, together they embark on a 12-day odyssey that puts all their emotional and physical limits to the test.

Further information on the film is available at www.UntilTheWheelsComeOffMovie.com. Tickets for the streaming 2021 Napa Valley Film Festival screenings are available at www.NapaValleyFilmFest.org.

The film, which centers on the almost unfathomably intense challenges of a race in which more than half the participants don't finish, was produced by Jenny Dearborn, a leading Silicon Valley HR executive, social justice advocate, and champion for equality and diversity, who felt compelled to document the journey undertaken by her husband John Tarlton. Dearborn included their children, who rode along in the Team Tarlton van as crew, to witness and support their father's extraordinary efforts. Tarlton's entire race was documented by an experienced film crew, capturing the sleep deprivation, road hazards, and hasty nourishment taken while riding through days, nights, torrential rain, relentless sun, dangerous wind, through cramping and failing muscles, and the other extremes endured by riders in this singular pursuit. Dearborn is also an Associate Producer for the upcoming feature film "LILLY" starring Patricia Clarkson, a timely political thriller based on the remarkable life of Fair Pay icon Lilly Ledbetter (www.LillyMovie.com).

Race Across America is one of the most respected and longest running ultra-endurance events in the world, seen as a pinnacle of athletic achievement not only in cycling circles but also in the greater sporting community. Participants can compete as relay teams, or as solos who must earn qualification (John Tarlton, documented in this film, competed as a solo.)

RAAM facts:

- Vertical feet of climbing: Over 170,000 (vs. Tour de France ~146,000)
- Distance in miles: 3,070 miles (vs. Tour de France 2,200 miles)
- Days of the race: must be completed in 12 days (vs. Tour de France 23 days)
- Stages: None, RAAM is one continual stage, no rest days (vs. Tour de France, divided into daily stages spread over 3 weeks, with scheduled rest periods)
- Prize money awarded: $0 (vs. Tour de France's over $2.5 million.)

Credits:

Directors of Photography: Dean Pags & Colby Johnson
Music by Chris Phillips
Produced by Matt Dearborn, Jenny Dearborn, and Rick Weis
Directed by Matt Dearborn and Rick Weis

About the film participants:

John Tarlton (Extreme Athlete, Film Subject) is an avid endurance athlete who competes in extreme sports to raise money and awareness for cancer research at the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI). A gifted athlete whose collegiate sport was cycling, Tarlton leverages this passion for health by using his athletic ability to help others. To date, he has participated in six endurance cycling events and donated 100% of the funds raised to SCI. Tarlton began with double centuries before graduating to 500-mile rides, and eventually the Everest of cycling: Race Across America. In addition to his first showing at RAAM in 2014, he has raised funds for SCI through the Ironman Tahoe, Tahoe Midnight Express, Lake Tahoe 72 Mile Ultra Marathon, Santa Barbara 100, and Race Across the West. Tarlton is also the Chairman of the board of directors at Team Tarlton—a non-profit focused on health, wellness, and educational initiatives—and a Menlo Park real estate executive.

Rick Weis (Producer, Editor) is a longtime documentary editor whose storytelling ability and eye for unique visual branding began with working alongside legendary documentary filmmakers David Wolper and Robert Guenette on a CNN historical epic. His scripted credits include renowned comedy and drama hits such as “Entourage” and “The Office,” where his production background and documentary experience informed dynamic conceptual approaches to storytelling.

Matt Dearborn (Producer) is an Emmy Award-nominated television producer, writer, and director. He is known for creating and producing “Even Stevens” on the Disney Channel, for which he received 3 consecutive Emmy nominations for “Outstanding Children’s Series,” and has also written over 100 produced episodes of television including “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “The Secret World of Alex Mack.” In 2001, Even Stevens won the BAFTA Award for “Outstanding International Children's series.”

Jenny Dearborn (Producer) is a leading tech HR executive, social justice advocate, and champion for equality and diversity. She was recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Tech for five consecutive years, and is known as a thought leader in HR, HCM, the Future of Work, and data analytics. She is also the author of two best-selling business books: her first, Data Driven, was selected as one of the top 10 for “What Corporate America is Reading” out of 11,000 business books published that year. Her next book, The Data Driven Leader, debuted as #1 on Amazon’s list of business best-sellers.  She is a regular contributor to USA Today, Forbes, Huffington Post and Fast Company. Dearborn is currently the Chief People Officer at Klaviyo, and the Founder of Actionable Analytics Group, an advisory firm that supports Human Capital Management and Education Tech startups from Seed to IPO. Dearborn holds degrees from UC Berkeley, San Jose State and Stanford University. Dearborn is also an Associate Producer for the upcoming feature film “LILLY” starring Patricia Clarkson, a timely political thriller based on the remarkable life of Fair Pay icon Lilly Ledbetter (www.LillyMovie.com).

The Napa Valley Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2021. Due to the pandemic, this year’s festival will be presented virtually, offering filmgoers passes that enable streaming all films from home, on-demand, from November 10 – 14, 2021.  The Napa Valley Film Festival is presented by Cinema Napa Valley, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. Cinema Napa Valley’s mission is to celebrate the cinematic arts and enrich the community by hosting year-round education and outreach programs culminating in presenting an annual world-class festival. More information is available at www.napavalleyfilmfest.org or by phone at (707) 226-7500.

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