He held the world record for the 1,000 yards and the American record for the 1,500 metres. Conger also scored wins over Otto Peltzer and Edvin Wide, and went on to be undefeated in the mile for two seasons. He retired from running in 1932.
Conger worked as a track coach for the Carleton College for four years and later became a long-time professor of physical education at the Pennsylvania State University.
In 1963, he was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.
In the United States. national championships, Conger was a three-time winner in both the 1,000 yd and the mile run. At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, he won his qualifying heat for the 1,500 m but did not finish in the final. In 1929, Conger became the first and only athlete to defeat Paavo Nurmi in the mile, beating the "Flying Finn" to the win in the indoor Wanamaker Mile of the Millrose Games. Although Conger was modest about his win, he would be known as "the man who beat Nurmi" for decades.
