# Run 5k - couch to 5k program — user reviews > 270 indexed App Store user reviews of Run 5k by Felt Tip Inc., rated 3.90/5 from 67 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/run-5k-couch-to-5k-program/id313494823/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/run-5k-couch-to-5k-program/id313494823.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 39 · 4★ 8 · 3★ 5 · 2★ 6 · 1★ 9 ## What do users think of Run 5k? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Simple and effective - 🚀 Gradually builds endurance - 💡 Helpful audio cues - 👍 Motivating and enjoyable - 👍 Versatile with music playback **Cons** - 🐛 Inconsistent audio cues - 🐛 Tracking issues with Apple Watch - 🐛 Bugs with screen locking - 🔋 High battery consumption - 👎 Lacks advanced features **Commonly reported bugs** - Duplicate workout recordings - Workout timer resets unexpectedly - Audio cues not working when screen is locked **Most requested features** - GPS tracking and mapping - Customizable interval timers - Integration with other fitness apps - Post-workout data and progress tracking ## Newest reviews (14 of 270) ### 2/5 — App used to be good *2024-05-22* But it’s not anymore. Every single session now gets recorded twice in the health app. One with all the data but a incremental workout number (e.g. week 1 day 1 records as workout “0” while day 2 is “1”), and another, useless one, with only the time, though it does indicate week/day. This app hasn’t been updated in years, so just find a newer app at this point. ### 2/5 — Has potential but has issues *2023-10-11* First off, it’s great to have a program with no ads AND no subscription fee. But two glaring things make it disappointing 1- The app doesn’t announce the “run/walk” times when my phone is locked! Why?? It will only interrupt my music and narrate properly when I have the phone unlocked in my pocket. So there’s a workaround but it’s still annoying. 2- Even when I do the above and get all the way to it announcing “workout complete” it won’t actually record my stats and complete the workout for me in the app. I have to open the app again, and if I don’t do that right when the workout is over, it doesn’t save my stats. Since I usually go from my cooldown straight back to my family or to work, this is annoying. Fix these and my rating would go from 2 to 4 stars. Add GPS and a map of my workout and it would be a 5. ### 4/5 — Great *2021-08-30* I love the simplicity and effectiveness of this app. Now I am using the apple watch version and there is a little annoying bug. The app comes back on by itself even after I close it, and I cant see the clock because it’s always on the screen. ### 2/5 — Disappointing *2020-10-30, version 2020.5.12* Purchased today to start my to5k journey again. This only talks to activity in Apple and not Workouts. I was hoping to export to another social running app but it doesn’t talk to much. I’ll be requesting a refund and going back to Couch to 5k as I can run an Apple workout in the background. ### 2/5 — Potentially-great product, marred by buggy Watch interactions and poor support *2020-08-08, version 2020.5.12* Since they offer a Watch app, I’ve been running just with that. Everything is great until it can talk to the phone, and then I end up with duplicate workouts, both differently-incomplete and neither able to be imported into Strava. My support query was met with a response of “you should stop running with your phone” (even though I’m not) and nothing else despite repeated messages. Would have gone on to buy the bundle to get me to a half marathon if it had worked, but instead I’m deleting. ### 3/5 — Very Basic, Buggy with Apple Watch *2020-08-04* I’m on week 6 and I’m now running more than 20 minutes straight, which is a first for me. I was able to complete each workout and didn’t have to repeat any so far, so I feel like the progression is good. It’s good as far as the program and the stopwatch go, but otherwise it’s very basic and has some bugs. I use it on my Apple Watch and it regularly fails to announce the run/walk intervals when they start, so I have to keep checking my watch while I run which is annoying. The app on my phone does not store any of the data from my runs (distance, pace, HR, etc) so you can’t compare those to previous runs. So the only real improvements you can see are your increased times. If the app stored your run data and the Apple Watch bug was fixed I would give it 5 stars. Kid if frustrating that people have been complaining about the watch bug in the reviews for a long time and it’s still an issue. ### 2/5 — Not worth the money *2020-07-27, version 2020.5.12* So the good things are the warm and cool downs. They are pretty good, all round body warm up and stretches for when you’re done. Bad things are, it’s not any better than the couch to 5k app (which is free) it says when to run but this one is a robotic voice (I’m happy with). But it also didn’t always seem to work when I lock my screen, meaning I missed parts when it said to jog so just keep walking for ages. I thought it would say my speeds on the jogs and walks as it says it has gps. No ... no it does not. It didn’t even have a map to show the route. Literally just says how far I ran. I’m going back to using couch to 5k and my gps app (Runkeeper), I hoped this would have been both so was happy to pay. I regretted it. ### 3/5 — I used to love it *2020-05-31* I have recommended this app to many people and find myself using it over and over when I have fallen off the exercise ‘wagon’. However... My current dilemma: it has stopped tracking my average pace and distance consistently. Some runs it will, some it won’t. I use the app the same way every time so I don’t understand what’s wrong. Same when I use the app on my Apple Watch. No distance, no pace, no heart rate reading. Also, I’ve had runs where it resets itself...like, I start my 3 minute run and after what feels like FOREVER, I glance at my phone and see that it has gone back to the warmup. Weird. And frustrating. ### 4/5 — Great app *2019-11-06* Great app for free. I miss some of the old features. When I first started this app many years ago I was able to easily shadow progress on social media. The app also tracked your gps path and had a map shown as part of your results. Both of these features are not present anymore. Also on last nights run it no longer reminded me when I was halfway. I always enjoyed this because I know when to turn back around and end up back home at the end of the work out. But overall if you struggle with endurance running, this is the app to use as long as you stay consistent. ### 5/5 — 5k to 10k to 21k *2019-10-12* LOVE this app...I have several wife and friends using it now and we share & support one another our progress. We have also been repeating weeks if necessary. I’m finishing up the 5k and recently purchased the bundle of 10k & 21k. Q: As I finish up an app and transition to the next do I start over with that app or is there a recommend week in the 10k and then the 21k (when complete 10k)? ### 3/5 — Ok *2019-09-12, version 7.0.1* Positive-use your watch. Ties to fitness app on iPhone. Negative. No option to manually enter your stats after running on a treadmill. ### 5/5 — Seriously changed my life *2019-09-07* I bought my first iPhone in 2010. This was a recommended app. I downloaded it and started using it on August 2nd 2010. It was a 9 week program and it took me 11 weeks to complete as I couldn’t get through a couple of the weeks completely at that time. Today (2019) I am in training for my 3rd half Ironman (September) and my 25th full marathon (November). Thank you. I picked the right app at the right time in my life for serious change. ### 5/5 — Awesome app *2019-09-03, version 7.0.1* I really like this aap, it really helps me get motivation and keep running... please don’t stop innovating it, hoe you keep updating it with more and new and better features. Thanks again. ### 5/5 — I did it! *2019-06-19* This app taught me how to run. I first tried when I was getting married, and I completed the 5k but never did actually a race. Now 8 years later I came back to train for my first 5k. It it’s a great help for a non runner, couldn’t be happier. Gracias! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Pretty terrible *2026-07-22, version 2020.5.12* This app used to be great, but is now terrible. It stays open on the watch for hours after finishing a workout, and if you have the watch app you must play music from the watch to hear the voice commands. Seems that they stopped developing or improving the app years ago. I will be moving to a different platform. ### 1/5 — Don’t Waste Time/Money *2023-04-20, version 2020.5.12* Won’t work with other apps or talk to you with cues when to walk or run. Unless you don’t listen to music or use other apps & want to hold your phone so the screen isn’t asleep, don’t waste your time with this app. ### 1/5 — Does not work on lock screen *2020-08-02, version 2020.5.12* Very frustrating as if your Apple Watch locks screen.. it stops working.. so you miss prompts.. Useless ### 1/5 — No after run report *2020-05-19* The functionality of the app is fine. The notifications work. Having the stretches is nice. I will not be using this app again and will be deleting it. There is no after run report. Nothing that says your over all pace, your distance, or your average heart rate. You can see it all during the run but once it’s finished it’s gone. Having that run history would be nice to see the progress and distances changed. Waste of $5. ### 1/5 — So many bugs for a purchased app *2020-05-06, version 2019.12.5* Voice commands won’t work if you leave the app. Stretching workout will sometimes randomly start playing mid run which you can’t turn off. It makes the phone very hot when using, probably because you have to leave the app open if you want it to work. I bought this app so I could store stats but I can only see stats for the run I just completed. I wanted it for comparisons etc. I’m going back to my free version because at least I don’t have to keep checking the phone every 90 seconds during the run. ### 1/5 — Apple Watch app glitch *2019-10-07, version 2019.10.2* Countdown now doesn’t work. Any time the Apple Watch screen sleeps the timer stops counting down. This has happened ever since the new update. Please fix!! ### 1/5 — Calories burned *2019-02-17, version 7.0.1* I have this app synced with my Apple Watch and it overrides the calories burned on the activity app! It’s only crediting me for 14 active calories when the watch was tracking more like 300. Talk about discouraging! ### 1/5 — Does not sync to your watch *2019-02-16, version 7.0.1* Bought this specifically to sync to my watch but does not show up there. Very disappointed ### 1/5 — Where is watch app?? *2019-01-11, version 7.0.1* Bought specifically to use with my watch but app not showing up on watch ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work on watch *2018-12-27, version 7.0.1* Don’t waste your money. Support email doesn’t work and no help on line. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great simple app *2026-01-28, version 2020.5.12* Fantastic easy to use good prompts ### 5/5 — Got me to my mileage *2023-08-03, version 2020.5.12* Wonderful app! Got me to running my 5K! ### 5/5 — Great! *2022-06-28* I’ve been running on and off for years, and this app is always great at helping me get back on track and work up my strength again. Recently got an Apple Watch and was thrilled that this app worked well with it out of the box, even when I leave my phone behind at home. Great stuff! Keep it up, Felt Tip! I appreciate you! ### 5/5 — Similar to original *2022-01-02, version 2020.5.12* Had the original C25K app RunDouble by CoolRunning for many years but they were bought out by a more expensive company that takes up a lot of memory over 100 MB. This app is only 15MB has all the original functionality and simplicity of RunDouble. I can still listen to Pandora as I run. It cost $2.99 but so did RunDouble in 2016. It will take a little time to find because the bigger apps appear first in App Store. It doesn’t break down the stats as well as the original and doesn’t show a map of your run but stretching feature is nice. ### 5/5 — This app works! *2021-02-08* I walk every day for exercise but do not run. I have a personal goal of running a 5K. A year ago I downloaded the app and followed it faithfully. And it worked! I can now run 3 miles, albeit not very quickly! I run 3-4 times a week now. The pace of the program is great. I have not been able to run an actual 5K yet due to pandemic, but I will. Best money I have ever spent on an app. ### 5/5 — Great running app *2020-09-18, version 2020.5.12* Love this app. Appreciate the 5k and 10K are not identical. ### 5/5 — Excellent *2020-07-18, version 2020.5.12* Very simple. 5/5 ### 5/5 — Super easy to use *2020-04-29, version 2019.12.5* The app is user friendly and very easy to use. There is no excuse to get up and get it done! ### 5/5 — Love this app *2020-03-31* This app is wonderful. I've been using it for years and always come back to it when I need to restart my running routines after injuries, etc. or need a well structured interval practice. My only wish list item for the app would be to have a way to isolate the running pace during the running intervals. Right now it just gives an overall pace average over the whole session and the walking breaks can prevent us from getting a good sense of our running speeds. Thanks!! ### 5/5 — From 5k to marathoner *2020-02-20* I started running when I saw my backside in a storefront window. I did a double...no wait...triple take and wondered what happened on the flip side. I purchased the app (first app purchased), and because I spent money, was going to see the entire program through. I got shin splints and was in pain. About week 6, things started feeling better. I completed the program and went onto run 2 marathons. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my running career! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-30.*