Why do athletes run around the track counter-clockwise?

追风逐电逆时针
好似倒转生命钟
拉下死神几多圈
赢得浮生又复生

I wrote this when I was 20, today I check for this question:
Why do athletes run around the track counter-clockwise?


Also,死神的形象化为清晰---- 蜱虫头部有接近人脸或者说鬼脸的花纹.