A new gym featuring an indoor running track and a climbing wall is set to open in Manchester city centre next year.

With an investment of 拢1.8m, the first GSquared Health Club facility will open in early 2021 at the Royal Exchange Arcade.

Some 40 new jobs are expected to be created.

Spanning a 12,000 sq ft space, the gym is set to boast a 20m sled track, a performance room, free weight area and resistance equipment, while an assault course will include monkey bars, rope regain and cargo net, a full free-motion cable suite, and a climbing wall.

The gym has been spearheaded by Andy McGlynn, former Royal Marine Commando and founder and chief executive of GSquared Health Clubs, with the aim to create 鈥渁 sanctuary to restore, re-energise and revive鈥.

The gym has also been designed for the 鈥楥ovid era鈥, it said, with capped memberships, temperature testing, clean air system and thorough cleaning of the site and equipment.

Mr McGlynn said: 鈥淚 knew that Manchester had to be the first location for the first GSquared Health Club, which I believe is set to be a gamechanger for the fitness industry.

鈥淲e are shaking up the norm to become one of the world鈥檚 leading health club brands.

鈥淚t was an overwhelming passion and quest for perfection within a fitness facility, combined with the drive to push the standards of an industry that gave me the energy and awareness to build GSquared.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to create a stunning fitness space, but we鈥檝e added substance by ensuring innovation and high service standards are imperative to the brand.鈥

The GSquared gym will be a partner brand to Mr McGlynn鈥檚 GSquared Academy, the research and education arm of the gym, under which he has also created a diploma course for personal trainers - a High-Performance PT Diploma.