Minneapolis Marathon runner fulfilling husband's wishes

Linda Ambard's husband refused to watch his wife defer her running dreams.

So before he left for Afghanistan in January, the Air Force Academy professor urged the Colorado Springs gym teacher to achieve her goal of finishing a marathon in all 50 states by the end of the year. They were set to relocate overseas following his yearlong stint in Afghanistan, and he didn't want her to leave the United States without fulfilling her mission.

"He would say, 'This is your chance to get out and see the world,' " said Ambard, who also has a daughter who fought in Afghanistan.

Ambard, a "marathon machine" for the past five years, aims to complete the 26.2-mile race in her 38th state Sunday, in the third installment of the Minneapolis Marathon.

She will carry a small American flag as she runs along the route that starts near the Depot, moves south toward Snelling Lake and ends in front of the Guthrie Theater.

She will cross the finish line in tears.

Phil Ambard, the man who encouraged her to run races all over the country and always picked her up at the airport when she returned home, died April 27 in Kabul, Afghanistan, along with seven other airmen and a civilian in a mass shooting.

"I know that's what he wants me to do," said Ambard, who has completed more than 50 marathons in her career. This will be her second marathon since her husband's death; on Sunday, she completed a race in Vermont.

Ambard, 50, is one of 4,800 people expected to participate in the Minneapolis Marathon's three races: a half-marathon, full marathon and a relay marathon. The relay is a new twist for the fledgling event, sponsored by Team Ortho, that continues to seek its niche in a marathon scene dominated by Duluth's Grandma's Marathon and the Twin Cities Marathon.

Participants will receive "gold-plated" gear once they complete the 26.2 miles, according to marathon spokeswoman Amy Leger. An expo will feature presentations by fitness experts. Three Irish pubs will host postrace parties.

Ambard, however, will not travel to Minneapolis for those extras. She sees the race as a part of her recovery.

She expected to lose her job the day her husband of 23 years was killed. Her district laid off 143 teachers that day, and she thought she would be one of them.

"I knew something bad had happened," she said.

Since her husband's death, Ambard has lost 20 pounds and said she's trying to repair a "shattered heart." She's still trying to obtain some of his items. Earlier this week, the military sent her the watch her husband once wore. Every trinket, like racing, enables her to move forward. Sunday, she will race in a pink polka-dotted skirt and a T-shirt bearing his image.