Cedar Grove Woman Finishes 1st In 5-Kilometer Races

CEDAR GROVE, NJ — Desirae Piccoli is excellent at running. She is ranked first among New Jersey for 5-kilometer races by USA Track & Field.

But Piccoli, a Cedar Grove resident, does not just run for fun. She runs to help and inspire others.

"It's a passion of mine. It's fun and you bond with the people who are running with," Piccoli said.

Piccoli recently finished first among women in back-to-back 5-kilometer races. One race was the Caroline Fund 5K in Caldwell. The annual event raises money for brain cancer research. The second race was the Ovarian Cancer Mayors 5K in West Orange. Proceeds from that race helped fund ovarian cancer research.

Piccoli is a special education teacher and the mother of two young children, ages 1 and 3. She said she shared her story as a way of inspiring women and mothers.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com