Thanks for all of the replies. I think seifarth probably has it right. I do have extremely narrow hips which could
explain a lot. I was just hoping it wasn't simply anatomical and I could do something about it.

As for all of the suggestions on running shorts, I appreciate the help. Like I said, I work in a specialty running
store and do have access to a multitude of shorts that DO work for me because they have a built in compression
or simply spandex liner. The point of my inquiry was to come to a solution that would help me run WITHOUT the
spandex or compression. I would like to have the "naked" feel during the summer rather than the soaked lycra
shorts while I'm running. Oh well, can't win them all.

Post some pictures of you running, we'll all examine your thighs!
Seriously, it might be beneficial.

Female here but I have the same problem you do. It won't ever matter how much weight I lose, I am built with heavier thighs and will always touch even if I drop down to 100lbs. I wear compression shorts. If I have a problem because of sweat or something weird just isn't working that day, which does happen randomly, I use Sport Shield. Doesn't rub off at all, only soap and water will get it off. Slick but not sticky. It comes in a rollerball or they have toweletts which I will put in my pocket if I know I'm going to be running for a couple hours on a hot day.

http://www.2toms.com/

Beats Body Glide hands down.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

2nd bag balm

That your inner thighs are overdeveloped must mean they are supporting more than their share of bodyweight and have grown as an adaptation to handle the greater than normal load.

If the adductors are receiving more than their share of bodyweight, because of the reciprocal relation between these groups, the glutes must be receiving less than their share. I would guess that your weight distribution leans too far forward and your feet have pronated in response, causing a general internal rotation of the legs (hence the thighs chaff), an anteversion of the pelvis, and much tension in the long muscules of the back which prevent you from falling on your face.

This is not an effect of running, but of your gait and internal alignment in general. Running with your hips misaligned has only made the problem worse by training toward imbalance. It is also a very common imbalance, although mind you, without seeing your form, I can only guess at its specific nature. There are many imbalances that can lead to this bodyweight shift. The most common cause would be that your shoulder girdle is not properly supporting your torso on your pelvis due to a passive insufficiency in the core. In general, you are falling over forward, held up by the tension in your adductors, and probably also by a similar tension in the upper trapezius. If your head is in a slightly forward posture, there is a good chance this is the case.

My solution is to build a strong core capable of properly supporting the pelvis and preventing it from tilting forward. A strong and balanced core will also transfer balance energy from the obliques through the iliac crest and into the lateral glutes widening the hips. I would guess that stiffness is your spinal erectors has limited mobility in your latissimus dorsi preventing your from getting the right angling of the shoulders and lift of the costal margin of the ribs that would allow you to crunch those upper abs.

So I am pointing to your thoracolumbar area as ground zero for this misalignment, meaning you will need to activate and strengthen your glutes, lats, and TVA to reestablish its energetic flow. They can be trained with the proper kind of squats, vacuums, and pelvic thrusts (those which use the shoulder for support, especially with arms in the air). You can modify the basic pelvic thrust to include a vacuum (suck in the stomach as you thrust, keeping the torso straight by allowing the shoulders to internally rotate and the jaw to lift) and a squat (exaggerate the thrust by bending the knees and ankles so as to squat down as the pelvis is drawn back and stand up as the pelvis thrusts). Unweighted is best at first. You are trying to express the asymmetries of the spine by allowing yourself to be pulled into rotation as you move. Understanding the expression of asymmetry is the first step in training your nervous system to behave symmetrically. Foam roll and stretch the adductors and medial aspects of the hams and quads before these exercises. Consider that your pecs and scalenes may be tight as well, forming part of the imbalance that is shifting your weight anteriorly. Stretching and mobilizing the calf-ankle-foot complex may yield the greatest returns. The shape of the foot locks in our holding patterns, and gaining mobility between its bones can help establish a healthy arch which will guide structures above into alignment. Avoid orthopedic support in your shoes. I believe that although they make walking more comfortable, the support they give actually weakens the arch over time by doing its job for it. Learn about your cuboid bone: it sits at a confluence of forces and is commonly misaligned, leading to excess pronation. A great exercise for strengthening the arch is to simply grip the floor with the feet for extra support. Imagine your soles are suction cups when you walk. Plant the little toe firm and curl the heel inward as you step, raising the arch as your bodyweight falls on it by keeping the leg straight despite this forced supination.

Good luck!