Tennis pro James Blake gears up for NYC marathon, his 1st

NEW YORK (AP) — Former tennis pro James Blake is gearing up for his first marathon and says it’s going to be a long race, much like the fight against police brutality.

Blake spoke Wednesday during a press event for the TCS New York City Marathon. The race comes less than two months after Blake was tackled outside a hotel and arrested by a New York Police Department officer in a case of mistaken identity.

Blake said Wednesday that recent images of a student being tossed from her desk by a South Carolina officer horrified him.

Blake was known for his speed on the tennis court. He will join 50,000 other runners at Sunday’s marathon.

He is running for his foundation, which raises money for early detection cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.