Hey New York City, did you know James Blake-- that famous tennis player mistakenly identified and taken down on camera by the NYPD just earlier this year-- will be running in this Sunday's New York City Marathon?

Well, he is. He'll be running to raise money for the James Blake Foundation, which helps to fight cancer.

So it turns out James Blake isn't just super athletic; he's also a super good person. Now, we've got even more news about that tennis player named James Blake. Turns out he's also stunningly articulate.

He wrote a letter to NYC in The Players' Tribune, and in the letter, he professed his love to the city. That's right. Even after that unfortunate incident with the NYPD earlier this year. That's right. Still. To. This. Day. 

"For me, it's always been New York ... it's just part of me. The fabric of New York - all of it, from the good to the bad and then back again - is inextricable from the fabric of my own life," Blake wrote.

Blake also explained the reason he'd put himself through the harrowing task of running in the New York City Marathon; 26.2 miles of torture and exhilaration that brings its participants on a partial loop throughout all five of NYC's boroughs.

"Most of all, I'm running it for my dad, Thomas, who died of cancer 11 years ago," Blake wrote. "He will be with me every mile."

Blake plans to use the memory of his father to fuel him up the hills and around the curves of the marathon.

"When I'm tired along the way, I'll think of him and remind myself of the awareness and money the James Blake Foundation is raising to fight cancer," Blake wrote.

[anad]

Is running in the marathon a quintessential NYC experience? Blake thinks so.

"For anyone who has ever called New York Home, each of the race's 26.2 miles tells a story," Blake wrote.

Perhaps Blake's participation in the Marathon is made even more special by another person's link to tennis. Fred Lebow, who co--founded the first New York City Marathon in 1970, was an avid tennis player who competed in club tournaments. 

Lebow's doctor told him he lost big matches because of a lack of stamina. In The New York Times in 1980, Lebow said after he started running, he never lost another tennis match. "Of course," Lebow added, "I haven't played one."

brianmelford "We're looking for a lasting, positive impact on the city." #JamesBlake after words of encouragement and support from Council Member Andy King @Andykingnyc

Was Blake's tennis game influenced by stamina? We're not sure, but we do know it was influenced by NYC.

"Harlem is where I fell in love with tennis," Blake wrote. "I learned how to play at the Harlem Juniors tennis program."

Blake also remembers a very chill entrance fee at Harlem Juniors.

"What was so special about Harlem Juniors is that everyone got to play for free. Entry only cost one thing: your report card," Blake wrote. "If you kept up a high enough GPA, then you could play for free."

[anad2]

Blake remembers that he and his father spent every morning at the courts, called "The Armory," running laps around the whole building. 

"I don't remember how many laps we would do; it was probably only three or four. At seven years old it seemed like 100," Blake wrote.

It was those laps around The Armory that Blake learned the most deep seeded lesson any New Yorker can: the empowering reward of hard work.

"It was like, That was exhausting ... why do I feel so good? But looking back now, I can see that confusion was just me, at an early age, learning to understand the value of work ethic," Blake wrote. 

olytechwest While this man has shown nothing but class in his statements about the very public wrong that occurred to him a few days ago, I like to think this is the rage he shows in private. This from the 2006 U.S. Open. #jamesblake #outrage #nypd #tennis

"The strong ethic that my dad preached to me became a part of my identity - and, in the best possible way, it became a part of my connection with New York."

What else does Blake discuss in this stunning letter? He gets into racism, police brutality, heartache and victory. Blake writes with grace about it all. 

We learn about how Blake made it to the U.S. Open, we learn about his love for the Mets (or, more specifically, his love for his parents' love of the Mets), and perhaps most importantly, we learn how James Blake eats his pizza.

Click here to read Blake's touching letter to our beloved city. We still got the chills from it-- and we're pretty sure you will, too. 

Check out 6 Reasons Why You Have a Love/Hate Relationship with NYC.

[Feature Image Courtesy ABC 7 New York]