Felix, Gatlin burn up the track at U.S. championships

Allyson Felix’s dalliance with the 400 meters has led to a dilemma of whether she will run the event at worlds or hand off the spot to a teammate.

Felix needed just 50.19 seconds — along with a powerful kick and a lean at the finish — to edge Natasha Hastings on a scorching Saturday at the U.S. championships.

The schedule at worlds is just too tight for Felix to consider racing the 400 along with the 200, which is her signature event and one she doesn’t have to run at nationals because she already has an automatic bye in the event in Beijing later this summer.

Hanging in the balance is Francena McCorory, who had the fastest time in the world heading into Saturday’s race, but struggled around the track and finished fourth.

Gatlin exerted little energy in his first race at nationals, easily winning his opening heat of the 200 with a blazing time.

According to USA Track and Field, it’s the fourth-fastest time in the first round of a 200.

Slow down, bro! Wallace Spearmon also greeted Gatlin with, “Why so fast?” Gatlin just grinned and responded: “I didn’t know what I was running.”

The polarizing sprinter with a doping past was feeling particularly fresh after skipping the 100 because he has an automatic bye to worlds from his 2014 Diamond League title.

Usain Bolt, the world-record holder in the 100 and 200, isn’t running this week at the Jamaican nationals, taking the opportunity to hone his technique since he has automatic byes, as the world champion, into both events.

“Why go out there and feel the pressure from young guys trying to beat you, trying to get their confidence up?” said Gatlin, who served a four-year ban after testing positive for excessive testosterone in 2006.

Dawn Harper-Nelson got off to a fast start and cruised to the 100 hurdles title.

“Going into the home stretch, I wanted the race to be won already,” Centrowitz said.