Why do athletes run around the track counter-clockwise?

追风逐电逆时针
好似倒转生命钟
拉下死神幾多圈
赢得浮生又複生

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---- 蜱蟲头部有接近人脸或者说鬼脸的花纹.