targeting where you want to lose weight?

I found running really helped me lose inches in those areas...

Sadly no. Just keep targeting body fat. Best way is lifting weights. Doing cardio will give you a smaller version of you. Doing weights will assist you in changing your body shape.

I wish there was because I'd be working to get rid of my stomach area. It's gross. But I'll keep plugging away until my body decides to let some of that gut fat go.

besides liposuction, no there's nothing you can do to target where specific reserves of fat will come from. each person has different genetics so just because person a can do x activity and lose primarily for a certain body part doesnt mean that you will.

the general rule of thumb is the first place you gain fat ( in other words your body's preferred location to store fat) will be the last place you will lose. also the body mobilizes fat from all over your body just in different percentages, once again depending on your individual genetics.

for instance for me i gain weight in the following way : chest, thighs, face, hips, stomach. now that i'm losing weight, it's been coming off from all over, but actual amounts are from highest to lowest : stomach, hips, face, thighs and chest. so although i am losing from my chest, it's at a much slower rate than my belly since my belly is genetically the last place my body wants to store fat.
i can only assume that as i get closer to what my body thinks is a suitable amount of fat to have on my belly, it'll then switch the majority of fat loss to the hips, and so on.

hope that makes sense. just stick with eating at a deficit, weight training and some cardio and you'll see results.

I wish... but I think this comes into the category of "things you can't control".