Is the NHS Couch to 5K app only for people in the UK?

The NHS’s own page says the app is on the App Store and Google Play. Its App Store listing is on the UK store, so availability in other countries may vary. Check your own app store.

Why does Couch to 5K end at 30 minutes but Run at 25?

They just use different finish lines. The NHS plan ends with 30 minutes of non-stop running. Run’s 5K goal is 25 minutes non-stop, and its plan then carries on toward 60 minutes non-stop for 10K.

Can I switch from Couch to 5K to Run halfway through?

Yes. Run asks what you can do today, not what week you’re on. If you can already run for 10 minutes, for example, it starts you at level 6 rather than at the beginning.

Is it bad to repeat a week of Couch to 5K?

Not at all. Repeating a week is one of the most common ways people finish the plan. Your body gets stronger at its own speed, not the calendar’s.

Run vs Couch to 5K: which beginner running app is right for you?

We make Run, so read this with that in mind.

Pick the NHS Couch to 5K app if you want a free, proven nine-week plan with friendly coaches and you’re happy to repeat weeks yourself when needed. Pick Run if you’re on iPhone and want a plan that changes by itself when a run felt too hard or too easy, and that carries on to 10K. Both use the same basic idea: short bits of running with walking breaks that slowly grow.

How do Run and Couch to 5K compare?

The main difference is that Couch to 5K follows a fixed weekly schedule, while Run moves you up or down a ladder based on how your runs felt.

Checked October 2026, on the NHS website and the NHS Couch to 5K App Store page.

	Run	NHS Couch to 5K
What it is	Beginner running app with an adaptive plan and full run tracking	Free beginner running plan from the NHS, made with the BBC
Devices	iPhone (iOS 15+) and Apple Watch	iPhone (iOS 15+) and Android
Plan for beginners	19 levels: 25 min non-stop (5K) at level 12, 60 min non-stop (10K) at level 19	9 weeks, 3 runs a week, ending with 30 min non-stop
Adapts to how you feel	Yes: rate each run 1–10 and the next runs change	No; you can go at your own pace and take longer than 9 weeks
Price model	Free tracking and first plan workout; rest of the plan is part of optional Run Premium	Free
Apple Watch	Yes, with interval guidance and live heart rate	Not stated
Android	No	Yes

What is the NHS Couch to 5K app?

The NHS Couch to 5K app is a free running plan from the NHS, made in collaboration with the BBC. You run three times a week with rest days in between. In week 1 you alternate one minute of running with 90 seconds of walking, and by the end of week 9 you run for 30 minutes without stopping.

A trainer talks you through every run in your headphones, and you can choose who, including well-known comedians, presenters and athletes. You can play your own music underneath. Once you finish, there are “Beyond Couch to 5K” runs to keep you going. It’s free, with no subscription.

What about the original nine-week Couch to 5K plan?

The classic Couch to 5K plan is a fixed schedule: three runs a week for nine weeks, each week a little harder than the last. It works for a lot of people because it’s simple and you always know what’s next. The NHS app is built on this idea, and many other apps and printable plans copy it.

The catch with a fixed schedule is that it doesn’t know you had a bad night’s sleep or a stressful week. If week 5 feels like a wall, the plan doesn’t change; you have to decide to repeat it. Lots of people do that and finish just fine. Others feel they’ve “failed” and stop. If you want to understand the classic plan in detail, read our Couch to 5K guide.

How is Run’s plan different?

Run uses a ladder of 19 levels instead of a calendar, and it moves you based on how you feel. You start by telling it what you can do today: walking for 30 minutes puts you at level 1, running for 10 minutes puts you at level 6. A past injury or being 50 or older starts you one level lower.

You run two or three times a week, and each run has a 5-minute warm-up walk and a 5-minute cool-down walk. After every run you rate how tiring it was from 1 to 10. At the end of the week you rate any pain. Then:

A very tiring run (8 or more) makes the next run lighter right away.
Pain of 6 or more makes next week easier.
A tough week on average means you repeat the level.
A good week moves you up a level; a very easy week moves you up two.

Most people go from zero to 5K in 8 to 16 weeks. After reaching it, you hold it for two weeks, then Run offers to take you on to 10K. You can see the full idea on how it works.

What does Couch to 5K do better?

It’s completely free, and that matters. You get the whole plan, every coach and the after-plan runs without paying anything. Run’s tracking and first plan workout are free, but the rest of the plan is part of the optional Run Premium subscription.

Couch to 5K is also on Android, which Run isn’t. And its celebrity coaches are genuinely fun company; hearing a familiar voice cheer you on through week 5 helps. It’s simple, too: there are no settings to think about, just press play.

What does Run do better?

Run is better if you’ve struggled with a fixed plan before. Because it adjusts after each run, a hard day leads to an easier next run instead of a failed one. It also keeps going past 5K, with levels up to 60 minutes non-stop for 10K (6.2 miles).

Run also tracks your runs in full: GPS map, pace, distance, elevation, splits, heart rate with a watch, plus an Apple Watch app with interval cues. The NHS app’s listing focuses on the plan, its coaches and your progress through it, and doesn’t mention a watch app.

Which should you choose?

Ask yourself one question: what made you stop last time?

“Nothing, I’ve never tried.” Start with the free NHS Couch to 5K app. If it works, brilliant.
“I got stuck around week 5 and gave up.” Try Run, which slows down for you instead of waiting for you to decide.
“I’m on Android.” Couch to 5K. Run isn’t available for you.
“I want to go on to 10K.” Run’s plan carries straight on to 10K; see our 5K plan to see where it leads.
“I want to run with my Apple Watch.” Run has a watch app; the NHS app doesn’t list one.

Whatever you choose, the method is the same: run a little, walk a little, and let it grow. Our run-walk method guide explains why that works, and our list of the best Couch to 5K apps covers more options.