NPC Derby Festival Championships brings the muscle

Almost 500 men and women competed in the 2014 NPC Derby Festival Championships on Saturday at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

The competition is a fitness, figure, swimwear and bodybuilding competition featuring amateurs and pro athletes from across the country. Contestants ranged from 16 to 64 years old and came from West Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado and Kentucky, among other states.

Contestants were judged on a variety of areas depending on their competition category, including overall muscle tone, firmness, symmetry, a healthy appearance, makeup, skin tone and poise. Trophies were awarded to the winners.

Attendance for the event has increased every year since it became part of the Kentucky Derby Festival in 2011. Last year, around 1,600 people attended the finals, according to promoter Brent Jones.

Jones said the championship has no pro division but hopes to add one in the near future.