FITNESS fanatics have their Lycra at the ready as they prepare for a new festival taking over an Oxford school.

Fit Fest Oxford, billed as the county’s largest fitness and wellbeing festival, will take place at the Oxford Academy for the first time this Saturday.

Featuring classes including ‘clubbercise’, ‘groove aerobics’ and ‘yoga barre’, guests will also hear from a number of fitness ‘gurus’ and browse the latest weird and wonderful foods and products produced by the £4.7bn industry.

Organised by former Oxford United football player Paige Stead and a group of her friends, the one-day festival will also see an elite ‘throwdown’ competition featuring weightlifting and gymnastics and a ‘fight night’ with semi-professional boxers.

Ms Stead said the event is not just for devotees but also for those looking to start making changes to live a healthier lifestyle.

She added: “You don’t have to be really into your fitness

“We cater for athletes but also those who just want to find out more about what’s available in the local area.

“There is such a lot going on in Oxford but nothing that brought all the different strands together so we thought we would do it ourselves.

“We’ve been inundated with requests from local businesses and trainers wanting to take part.

“We believe it’s the first time people can get the whole experience under one roof from joining the latest classes to finding out how to prevent injuries and nutrition or just watching how some of the best athletes do it.”

Author, nutritionist and BBC commentator Julie Montagu will headline the programme of speakers.

The self-proclaimed ‘flexi foodie’ and owner of her own yoga school will speak on how she left a life of junk food behind in the United States to embrace a ‘plant-based approach’ to leave her feeling ‘strong, capable and energetic’.

She will be joined by the ‘foodie dentist’ Surina Sehgal, competitive runner Sophie Carter and representatives from businesses including yoga clothing company Lulu Lemon, David Lloyd leisure centres, restaurant Pho and Heck Foods.

The festival has also recruited a number of local ambassadors from gyms and fitness centres across the county to be on hand to help advise people on how to become more healthy.

Ms Stead, 25, who lives in Cowley and has run a massage business for the last eight years, said she has seen the fitness industry grow steadily with the increase in community-run initiatives such as Park Run and a rise in interest in alternative diets such as veganism.

She has had to travel to London and Birmingham for similar events before but now feels that there is sufficient interest in the city for Oxford to have its own.

It is hoped Fit Fest will become an annual event with other activities taking place throughout the year.

Tickets for the festival are still available and cost £20. See www.fitfestoxford.com.