Your short times have been good. Very different doing something like the black mountains though if your not right at the start it will be a long way. There is basically just 3 water points but normally that is enough at this time of year but today was warmer than expected. I just used to take a cup on a string.
In hindsight - should have gone the long way by Waun Fach. May add on several k and not save a huge amount of climb but is all runnable and not steep. If it took me 40 mins from Pen Twyn Glas to PyGF direct it's very marginal for me which would be quicker - but would have left the legs in a much better state for the descent and subsequent climbs.
You were in the winning team :-)
I don't think I have ever seen anyone take the ridge route in the race. Has some of the path been done up? Historically there was some soft stuff around the top slowing it down.