LONDON, April 19: Former boxer Michael Watson who suffered near fatal brain damage in a world title fight finished the London Marathon on Saturday — six days after setting out on the 26 mile (42km) course.

As he breached the tape Watson was greeted by Chris Eubank, the man who 12 years ago put him in a coma for 40 days.

Surrounded by cheering crowds and making playful boxing jabs towards Eubank and the cameras, Watson said he had loved every minute of the race.

“I feel super. It has been fantastic. I was getting stronger each step of the way,” he told Sky News.

The British boxer was on the verge of being certified clinically dead after his bout with Eubank and had half his skull removed.

Watson, London Marathon competitor 60199, walked for four hours each day, raising money for the Brain and Spine Foundation charity.—Reuters