// FAQ's

// Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enter The Rainhill Trials

For all the information about how to enter our competitions - please take a look at our "How do I enter?" page

Accepting an Invite

If you have been sent an invite via the ballot, to compete at one of our competitions, you will have 48 hours to accept the place before it expires. Sometimes the invite can end up in your junk folder, so please make sure you check that too. The invite has only been accepted once you have paid for it. 

I have entered a ballot, when will I know if I've got a place?

Invites are sent out in waves to athletes on the ballot list at random. Those athletes have 48 hours to accept the place, after which the invite is sent out to another person on the ballot list. The system will continue to work through the list for up to 2 weeks. 

So even if you see that other people have received an invite, it might take another 2 weeks for you to receive yours. 

The only way to guarantee a place to compete at the Rainhill Trials is to volunteer to help at an event. Then you are given a discounted, guaranteed athlete place at a competition. 

My invite has expired

Oh dear! Once your invite has expired, it is automatically offered to another athlete on the ballot list. It may be possible to re-send an invite to you once the ballot has completed. Please email events@trainmanchester.co.uk 

I can't accept my invite, can I give my invite to someone else?

No you cannot. The invite is just for you - the person who has entered the ballot. 

There is a problem with my Strongest Compete account

Please make sure that the email you are using to log into your Strongest Compete account is the same one that your invite was sent to. 

If you cannot see your Rainhill Trials competition on your Strongest Compete account, please check your bank statement to make sure you have actually accepted and paid for a place. 

If there is another problem, please email events@trainmanchester.co.uk

I have missed the seedings deadline for my competition - Individual Competitions only.

Disaster! Without your seeding scores we cannot put you into the correct category and you cannot continue to the live event. The deadline for your seedings is on your Strongest Compete account and you will be emailed before the deadline to remind you. 

If you think you have missed the deadline, or there has been a problem submitting your scores, please email events@trainmanchester.co.uk

Please remember that we do not offer refunds or deferral to another competition. 

Can I defer my place to another Rainhill competition

Sadly not. If you cannot take part in the live competition for any reason, we do not offer refunds or deferrals. 

I am injured and can't take part

We are sorry to hear about athletes who are injured and can't take part in the live competitions. But due to the seedings process, we can't offer your place to another athlete at short notice. This means that we do not offer refunds or deferrals  

I am taking part in a competition but haven't received any information about the Live event?

Please check that you have not unsubscribed from our email system and then email events@trainmanchester.co.uk

Athletes are emailed their Information pack 1 week before the live competition. 

Can I change an athlete on my team?

As our Teams and Pairs competitions are not seeded, it is possible for the Team Captain to change an athlete on the team by logging onto their Strongest Compete account. Please also email events@trainmanchester.co.uk so we have a record of the change. 

Can I change my Team Name or Affiliate Name?

Yes, the Team Captain can do this on their Strongest Compete account, but any changes made within 4 weeks of the competiton will not be reflected in your name board, scoresheet or leaderboard.

You MUST email events@trainmanchester.co.uk to inform us of any changes or we might not see that you have changed it on your Strongest Compete account. 

Can I give my individual athlete place to someone else?

No you can't. Due to the seedings process for the individual competitions, we cannot change the athlete who is due to compete. 

I am injured but still want to come and compete

We do not encourage injured athletes to compete at the Rainhill Trials. Your health and safety is of paramount importance to us. Not only do you risk your own health taking part with an injury, but you may put other athletes, spectators, our staff and our volunteers at risk too. 

I've left some of my things at the competition

We love picking up sweaty, stinky knee sleeves, jumpers, grips etc off the arena floor! We will take them to Train, Manchester, M22 5LB for you to collect at your convenience.

I've pre-ordered apparel but can't actually get to the competition to pick it up

We do not offer a delivery service at the moment. So if you are unable to collect your pre-ordered tee's and tops, please can you email events@trainmanchester.co.uk with the name of someone who will collect it on your behalf. They will be asked to sign for it. 

I'd like to return my pre-ordered Rainhill tee

Unfortunately, unless your tee has a manufacturing fault, because it has been made especially for you, we do not offer a refund or exchange. 

Do volunteers get a guaranteed place at a Rainhill competition?

Absolutely! Volunteers are offered a guaranteed, discounted place at a future Rainhill Trials event. If you help for one day, we give a 33% discount. For helping on two days, we give a 66% discount. 

It is not possible to give your discounted invite to another person. 

I volunteered in the past, please can I have a volunteer invite?

Yes! Please email events@trainmanchester.co.uk and they will arrange that for you.

I am an adaptive athlete

We love to welcome adaptive athletes to The Rainhill Trials. Whether you need to adjust the workouts and /  the environment, we will work with you to make sure you have a fun and challenging competition. 

If you have accepted an invite to compete, please email events@trainmanchester.co.uk with an outline of your situation and we will be in touch asap.