US Edition 
Go Couch to 5k iPhone app review
Want to take up running? This app could help you do it in a (relatively) painless way.
Go Couch to 5k
Radiant Tap
£2.99
Type "couch to 5k" into Google and there will be no shortage of results. Started in 1996 by Josh Clark, the plan aims to introduce people to running slowly and as painlessly as possible by alternating periods of running and periods of walking. It takes nine weeks, in which you go from running spells of, at most, 90 seconds to running for 30 minutes non-stop - or about five kilometres.
There is no shortage of apps to guide you through this program and there is even a series of podcasts from the NHS that covers the plan. This app is one of a range of fitness apps by Radiant Tap and it guides you through the Couch to 5k plan in a very straightforward way.
When you start each session a voice or an audio alert will tell you when to switch from running to walking and vice versa. Once you reach the longer runs the voice starts you off by saying "OK, now run for 30 minutes" but even then it can tell you when you reach halfway and there's an audio alert when it's time to stop. That means you needn't keep checking your phone to see how long you've been running and you can concentrate on watching where you are going instead.
You can listen to your own music during a run too. Go Couch to 5k will play whatever is playing on your iPod or you can create a dedicated running playlist within the app. When the app wants to tell you about a milestone that you've reached it will fade down the audio slightly.
After a run, the app tells you how far you went, what your average speed was and what your fastest speed was. Times can be broken down by mile or kilometre, depending on your preference. The app can plot your route on a map too, using the phone's GPS sensor, and there's a pace graph, though it's not quite as informative as the pace graph on something like Nike+. You can share your results on social media if you like, or on running site Daily Mile.
There's a free version of the app available if you want to try before you buy and, with so many Couch to 5k apps to choose from, it's worth investigating a few just to see which approach you like. I really enjoyed using Couch to 5k. The strange robotic voice won't be to everyone's taste but I'm going to miss it telling me: "Hey, you're doing great. Just over halfway point."