Yeah I like them too. I had Marathon Pluses on for a short while, hated them and switched to the Gatorskins. The difference in ride and performance is night and day. I found them to be quite puncture resistant and durable. To be fair my Gatorskins are narrower than the Pluses I was running and that is part of the difference.

The bad rap the Marathon Pluses get for weight is well deserved. They literally weigh twice as much as many other touring tires in the same size and the ride is sluggish as well. I'd rather fix a flat once in a while than ride on a dead feeling tire that weighs 800 grams (1.76 pounds) each. Different strokes though. If you want to avoid flats at the cost of double the weight and a dead feeling ride the Marathon Plus may be just what you want.